What to watch in the week ahead

Wall Street will be looking out for a potential stock market high next week.

The S&P 500 is just half a percent away from setting new records.

Analysts, however, wonder how long the market can stay in record territory.

Though a recent spate of economic data have turned up - lack of progress on the bruising U.S.-China trade war is keeping a lid on an upswing in business and investor sentiment.

The clock is already ticking down to a Federal Reserve meeting in October, and the possibility that it could bring the third rate cut of the year.

With a major split among policymakers about what should happen next, investors will be listening for clues from no less than ten Fed officials this week.

Heading to the mic will be St. Louis Fed President James Bullard, who has argued for aggressive rate cuts, and Kansas City President Esther George, who wants to keep rates where they are.

The week also comes with an update on the U.S. economy with a final revision to second-quarter GDP.

The big earnings story next week comes from Nike. Investors will be scouring for clues on how America's numerous trade disputes are impacting the world's largest athletic gear maker.

And there's also a quarterly update from Carnival. The main focus there: how much has the cruise ship operator been impacted by this year's Atlantic storm season, including the battering Hurricane Dorian delivered to the Bahamas - a Carnival island stop.