Wall St Week Ahead: Jobs data, trade, fiscal policies in focus

Recent history has shown July has been a strong month for stocks. — Reuters

NEW YORK: Investors who have been captivated by recent geopolitical events are poised to shift their attention in the coming week to key economic data and looming policy deadlines to see if the torrid rally in US stocks extends higher.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 tallied a record high this week while the benchmark S&P 500 moved to the cusp of an all-time peak. Easing tensions in the Middle East paved the way for the latest bump higher in stocks, as a conflict between Israel and Iran appeared to calm after missile strikes between the two nations had set the world on edge.