The Week Ahead: Darden, Nike Report as Quarter Winds Down

Jeremy Glaser: The third quarter will close out this week with a handful of earnings and data.

Analyst R.J. Hottovy has been impressed so far with Olive Garden parent Darden's turnaround. Their same-store sales growth has easily outpaced the rest of the industry, creating what he calls a "blueprint" for other chains. We'll see if this outperformance continues on Tuesday.

Nike also reports on Tuesday. Analyst John Brick sees the shares as undervalued heading into the report.

In data, the consumer will be in focus with consumption data on Friday, which will also be watched for its embedded inflation gauge. The University of Michigan consumer sentiment reading is also due that day.

We'll also new and pending home sales, the third estimate of second-quarter GDP, and durable goods orders.

Stay tuned for our take on these stories.