The final week of August brings a still fairly busy earnings diary, but one company stands head and shoulders above the rest for its potential to move global markets: Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA), whose fiscal Q2 results after-hours on Wednesday could set the tone for the wider AI trade. Investors will be watching revenue growth, margins, guidance and evidence that demand for AI infrastructure remains robust.
UK investors also have plenty to watch. Prudential (LON:PRU) reports H1 results on Thursday, with investors focused on growth across Asia, capital strength and shareholder returns. French drinks giant Pernod-Ricard (EPA:RI) is another key European name, reporting full-year FY26 results on Thursday after a challenging year for premium spirits, with China, the US, margins and its efficiency programme likely to attract attention.
Other US highlights include CrowdStrike (NASDAQ:CRWD), Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), Synopsys (NASDAQ:SNPS), Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK) and Marvell Technology (NASDAQ:MRVL), making this a potentially important week for both AI, wider technology sentiment, and core growth and income stocks.
Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA)
The bar is exceptionally high so when Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) reports fiscal Q2 2027 results on 26 August, investors will be looking for another blockbuster quarter from the AI-chip leader. Consensus is around $91.7bn–$92bn of revenue and approximately $2.08 adjusted EPS, implying revenue growth of roughly 56% year-on-year and EPS growth of almost 100%.
That means simply beating forecasts probably won’t do. Nvidia itself guided to about $91bn revenue, plus or minus 2%, so investors will focus heavily on the outlook for Q3 and beyond.
Consensus forecasts for Nvidia
| Q2 2026 (reported) | Q2 2027 | YoY Growth | Q3 2027 | |
| Revenue (bn) | $46.74 | $92.05 | ~97% | $103.7 |
| EPS | $1.05 | $2.09 | ~ | $2.36 |
Source: Koyfin
The shares have remained relatively resilient around $215-$225 ahead of results, despite recent volatility across semiconductor stocks. The stock is far closer to May’s ~$235 YTD peak than lows in March (~$165). For UK investors, the key catalysts will be Blackwell demand, datacentre growth, margins, supply constraints and management’s commentary on future AI infrastructure spending. A substantial revenue/guidance beat could reignite the rally; merely meeting expectations could trigger a ‘sell the news’ reaction given Nvidia’s lofty expectations and valuation. China restrictions and the sustainability of hyperscaler AI spending remain the principal risks.
Pernod-Ricard (EPA:RI)
Investors in Pernod-Ricard (EPA:RI) are nursing a portfolio hangover with shares in the world’s second biggest spirits maker down more than 30% and 60% over one and five years respectively. Negative sentiment reflects a global spirits market slowdown and disappointment that talks over a potential merger with Jack Daniel’s owner Brown-Forman (NYSE:BF.B) broke down in April.
For the uninitiated, Pernod-Ricard is the number two global spirits player behind Johnnie Walker-to-Don Julio maker Diageo (LON:DGE). Its portfolio spans more than 200 premium spirits brands including Jameson whiskey, Absolut vodka, Beefeater gin and Malibu rum.
Expectations ahead of the French spirits firm’s FY26 results on 27 August are downbeat. Consensus calls for a 3.7% organic sales decline, with a 4.1% drop forecast at the low end of the range. This is despite Pernod Ricard delivering a sequential organic sales improvement in Q3 compared to H1, with total group volumes returned to growth. ‘Sales have improved in markets across all regions in Q3, with strong momentum in emerging markets and continued growth in several mature markets’, said the company.
Consensus forecasts for Pernod-Ricard
| FY2026 | FY2027 | FY2028 | |
| Net sales (€bn) | 9.48 | 9.47 | 9.75 |
| EBITDA (€bn) | 2.85 | 2.86 | 2.96 |
| EPS (€) | 5.5 | 5.7 | 6 |
Source: Marketscreener
Diageo’s recent FY26 results underscore the size of the challenge facing these spirits giants. The Guinness-maker suffered a 2% decline in organic sales including a rather dispiriting 0.4% volume drop. And Diageo bemoaned ongoing weakness in North America and Asia Pacific, two important markets for its Paris-based competitor.
At the very least, investors will be hoping Pernod-Ricard maintains medium-term guidance for organic sales growth in the 3% to 6% range with annual operating margin expansion. Shareholders would raise a glass to positive progress with the group’s cost-cutting programme or an optimistic FY27 outlook.
The market’s prevailing glass-half-empty view of Pernod-Ricard reflects the fact that consumers’ disposable incomes remain under pressure and drinking habits are changing. Weight-loss drugs are a long-term threat to alcohol consumption, while the premium brands of Pernod-Ricard and Diageo face competitive pressure from cheaper alternatives.
Prudential (LON:PRU)
Back in the days of the ‘Big Bang’, Prudential (LON:PRU) was a slightly fusty British institution but a familiar part of everyday life nonetheless. From the early 20th century, ‘the man from the Pru’ door-to-door insurance salesman had been a part of British culture.
Today, under CEO Anil Wadhwani, Prudential is one of the biggest insurance players in the growth markets of Africa and Asia instead. Its aim is to succeed ‘at pace and scale’ in underserved markets with a combined population of around four billion people.
The group has invested massively in technology, and as well as insurance offers savings and wealth management through M&G (LON:MNG). In 2025, it posted adjusted operating profits of $3.3 billion, more than Aviva (AV.), the UK’s largest insurer.
In Q1 2026, new business profit jumped 10%, while the forecast for H1 is for a similar 9.5% increase. Earnings per share are seen growing at a faster clip, around 13%, while the interim dividend is seen rising 15%.
Consensus forecasts for Prudential
| H1 2025 (reported) | H1 2026 | |
| New business profit (bn) | $1.26 | $1.38 |
| Adj operating profit (bn) | $1.64 | $1.79 |
| EPS | 0.493 | 0.559 |
| DPS | 0.771 | 0.887 |
Source: Prudential
On deck next week – Investing.com
