Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Monday
Jim Cramer previews Aug. 17 market watch items, citing mixed futures and upcoming earnings from Walmart, BJ’s Wholesale, Home Depot and TJX. He notes Anthropic Q2 revenue above $11.5B. He also highlights analyst actions: Dell PT raised to $650, CrowdStrike and Palo Alto targets increased, SoFi initiated at $22 PT, Klarna PT raised to $21, Brinkers PT to $240, and Etsy hold at $89.
How this was made

The 30-second read
Why it matters
The only potentially tradable elements are the specific analyst actions and the stated earnings dates; however, the article does not provide new company financial disclosures or deal/regulatory outcomes.
Market read
Traders can use the list as a pre-earnings positioning checklist, but it is not a source of fresh fundamental disclosures beyond analyst target/rating updates.
What to watch
The piece is a multi-name watchlist; without exact target magnitudes for all names and without new company disclosures, follow-through may depend on earnings prints rather than pre-earnings notes.
Background
This is a CNBC segment-style “things to watch” list for Monday, mixing futures commentary with upcoming earnings and analyst rating/price-target changes.
Ticker impact
Cramer flags upcoming earnings for Walmart this week after a disappointing retail sales report, setting near-term event risk.
Likely limited until earnings guidance or results are released.
The text only notes that earnings are coming; it does not disclose results, guidance, or a fresh catalyst for WMT.
Cramer lists BJ's Wholesale earnings this week, making BJ a watch item for volatility around the scheduled report.
Potential volatility around the earnings date, direction unknown from this article.
No BJ earnings details, guidance, or analyst action are provided, only the timing.
Home Depot is named as an upcoming earnings report this week, implying a scheduled catalyst for HD.
Move risk concentrated around the earnings release; direction not specified.
The article does not provide HD results, guidance, or analyst changes.
Cramer includes TJX Companies among this week's earnings, highlighting near-term catalyst risk for TJX.
Possible reaction around earnings; not determinable from the text.
Only the earnings timing is mentioned, with no numbers or new developments.
Cramer notes Wells Fargo and TD Cowen raised price targets on CrowdStrike ahead of its Aug. 26 earnings.
Bias toward modest upside or reduced downside risk into Aug. 26, contingent on results.
The article explicitly cites price target increases and ties them to the earnings window, though it lacks the exact new target values.
Cramer says Wells Fargo and TD Cowen hiked price targets on Palo Alto Networks ahead of its Sept. 1 earnings.
Potential pre-earnings support if the market treats the target hikes as credible.
The article provides the direction of analyst action and the timing, but not the magnitude of the new targets.
Cramer discusses Piper Sandler initiating SoFi with a buy rating and a $22 price target, while he questions the stock’s underperformance this year.
Could see short-term trading interest around the initiation, but follow-through depends on upcoming catalysts not provided here.
The article includes a specific target ($22) and a directional rating change, which is actionable, but it is still an analyst note rather than a new company disclosure.
Cramer says Morgan Stanley upped its price target on Klarna to $21 from $18, with a hold rating and expectations for a Q2 beat.
Limited impact unless Klarna’s market is directly tied to the analyst update; direction likely mildly positive.
The subject is Klarna, which is not a US-listed ticker in the text; also the article lacks the exact market reaction or a new Klarna disclosure.
Market effects
AI and cybersecurity are highlighted via analyst target changes, reinforcing near-term sentiment toward AI infrastructure and security software.
Primarily US-focused via US-listed earnings calendar and US analyst actions.
Anthropic IPO speculation is global in theme, but the article provides no concrete IPO filing or terms.
Counterpoint
Analyst target hikes may be largely positioning-driven, and Cramer’s skepticism suggests the market may already price the AI and fintech narratives without near-term fundamental acceleration.
Key entities
- companyWalmart
Named as having earnings this week.
- companyCrowdStrike
Price targets reportedly hiked ahead of Aug. 26 earnings.
- companyPalo Alto Networks
Price targets reportedly hiked ahead of Sept. 1 earnings.
- companyDell
Melius Research raised its price target ahead of Sept. 3 earnings.
- companyWorkday
Two downgrades to hold from buy cited valuation concerns.



