June is here, and it's going to be a scorcher. We're not talking about the weather here, though it's probably quite a bit warm wherever you're hanging your hat these days.
The market never sleeps, and there are several companies that will be generating headlines in the coming weeks. Let's go over some of the days that investors will want to make sure to pay attention to this month.
Image source: Apple.
June 5
Apple (AAPL +1.95%) is a hot stock, hitting new all-time highs in May. The consumer tech giant will get to earn those gains -- and possibly move even higher -- when it heads into next week's WWDC powwow for developers.
The five-day event is positioned for developers, but it's also a good time for Apple to unveil some of the things that it will be rolling out. We may not hear or see much about the highly anticipated iPhone 8, but there are rumblings that we may learn about Apple's entry into the digital assistant speaker. Apple's entry is rumored to stand out by offering surround sound, a feature that may woo audiophiles.
Investors aren't going to get a lot of answers outside of perhaps the iRadio launch, but you know that they will be tuning in next week.
June 13
Diehard gamers will converge on Los Angeles in two weeks for E3, the annual expo where hardware and software companies show off their latest wares. The three-day conference will be full of hype, playable demos, and product announcements, and some of the heavy hitters won't even wait that long.
Microsoft (MSFT 1.11%) is hosting its press briefing on June 11, where it's expected to show off the upgraded Xbox One powered by its Project Scorpio motherboard which is likely to hit the market in time for this year's holiday shopping season. Microsoft will also likely detail how its Xbox platform can be more deeply integrated into Windows 10. Sony (SNE +3.29%) is hosting its press briefing on June 12, and it's teaming up with 85 movie theaters around the country to stream its event live.
June 16
June is a big month at the local multiplex, as movie studios push out potential blockbusters that they hope will woo substantial summertime audiences. Some of the aspiring heavy hitters include Wonder Woman, which debuts on June 2, and The Mummy reboot a week later. Other popular theatrical franchises, including Despicable Me and Transformers, get sequels later this month.
Let's narrow our focus to Disney's (DIS 0.19%) Cars 3. The third installment in Pixar's popular Cars franchise premieres on June 16. There's a lot riding on the movie. It's been six and 11 years since the first two theatrical releases, but Cars 2 raked in 21% less in domestic ticket sales than the original. It didn't help that Cars 2 was largely panned by critics, scoring the lowest Rotten Tomatoes score of all-time for a Pixar film. The franchise needs a strong showing, especially since Disneyland's California Adventure opened an entire attraction devoted to the franchise a year after Cars 2 hit an oil slick.
