Big Tech Earnings, Fed Rate Cut & Trump-Xi Meeting — Buckle UpHappy Monday! If you thought last week was exciting with the market hitting record highs, this week is about to turn it up to eleven. We're talking the busiest earnings week of the quarter with five of the "Magnificent Seven" reporting, a Fed rate cut that's basically guaranteed, and a Trump-Xi meeting that could reshape global trade. Oh, and about 160 S&P 500 companies are dropping results. No pressure, right? Let's get into it. The Big Picture: Everything's Coming TogetherAll three major indexes closed at record highs last week, each climbing about 2%. Why? Inflation came in softer than expected at 3% year-over-year (still a full point above the Fed's target, but we'll take the win). More importantly, President Trump confirmed he'll meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday in South Korea, raising hopes for a real trade deal instead of just more tariff threats. The stage is set for what could be a market-defining week. Here's what you need to watch. The Fed: A Rate Cut Is Coming (Finally)Let's cut to the chase — the Fed is dropping rates by a quarter-point on Wednesday. That's basically locked in. The federal funds rate will move from 4%-4.25% down to 3.75%-4%. But here's what actually matters: what Fed Chair Jerome Powell says at his 2:30 PM press conference. Multiple Fed governors have been talking up the risks to the labor market lately, and traders are now pricing in another quarter-point cut in December, with rates potentially hitting 3%-3.25% by next June. That's a full percentage point lower than where we are now. Translation? The Fed is taking its foot off the brake, and if Powell hints at more cuts coming, this market could really rip. Your Day-by-Day BreakdownMonday, October 27: The Warm-Up ActNot the craziest day, but we're getting results from some solid names: NXP SEMICONDUCTORS is the headliner. They're the Dutch chipmaker focused on automotive semiconductors, and while their auto segment has stabilized, broader demand is still soft. Analysts expect a 10% profit drop. The stock isn't trading at a clear discount, so this report needs to be clean to move the needle. Also reporting: Waste Management, Welltower, Keurig Dr Pepper, and a bunch of others. Nothing earth-shattering, but good for getting a read on different sectors. Tuesday, October 28: The Heavy Hitters ArriveNow we're cooking. This is when the earnings calendar really heats up: VISA & MASTERCARD (well, Mastercard reports Thursday, but close enough) — Payment processors are bellwethers for consumer spending. If people are swiping less, we'll know. UNITEDHEALTH — The healthcare giant sets the tone for the entire sector. With ongoing debates about drug pricing and insurance costs, this one matters. SOFI TECHNOLOGIES — Up 139% in six months! They just launched no-fee options trading and are trying to become a full-scale fintech platform. Analysts expect 69% profit growth and 30% revenue growth. The question: is the stock priced to perfection? PAYPAL — Still trying to prove it can compete in a crowded fintech space. This report will tell us if they're gaining ground or losing relevance. ROYAL CARIBBEAN — Want to know if people are still booking those stress-relief cruises? Here's your answer. BOOKING HOLDINGS — Travel demand has been strong, but is it sustainable? We're about to find out. Also dropping: UPS (global shipping demand check), Mondelez (snack spending trends), and a bunch more. Plus we're getting the Consumer Confidence Index for October and the S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Housing prices rose just 1.7% year-over-year in July — the weakest growth in two years. Wednesday, October 29: The Magnificent Seven Take Center Stage (Part 1)Deep breath. Here we go. ALPHABET — The search and cloud giant is expected to grow earnings 8% and revenue 13%. AI Overviews are now reaching over 2 billion monthly users and monetizing at rates similar to traditional search. But OpenAI's new "Atlas" browser is causing some noise. Can Google maintain its dominance? This report will tell us. MICROSOFT — Azure is the story here. AI workloads are translating into real demand, but data center capacity constraints are an issue. The company is also reportedly pushing Xbox to hit 30% profit margins (way above the industry's typical 17%-22%), which has led to layoffs and project cancellations. Analysts expect double-digit growth in revenue and earnings. Cloud margins will be the key metric to watch. META PLATFORMS — Facebook's parent just cut 600 jobs in its superintelligence unit to make the AI division "more agile." They've been spending big on AI infrastructure — think $66B-$72B in CapEx for 2025. The question: when does all that spending start paying off? Analysts expect 10% profit growth, but the real focus is on ad revenue and AI monetization. Also reporting: Boeing (still dealing with production issues), Caterpillar (global construction demand), Starbucks (can they turn around weakening traffic?), CVS Health, Kraft Heinz, MercadoLibre, eBay, Verizon, ServiceNow, and Chipotle. Oh, and at 2:00 PM, the Fed announces the rate cut. At 2:30 PM, Jerome Powell speaks. Markets will be glued to every word. Thursday, October 30: The Biggest Day of the WeekIf Wednesday was intense, Thursday is absolutely bonkers. We're getting the other two Magnificent Seven members, plus a Trump-Xi meeting that could reshape global trade. APPLE — Expectations are for 8% growth in both revenue and earnings. Early data shows Apple shipped 58.6 million iPhones in the July quarter — its strongest July performance on record. The iPhone 17 is seeing strong pre-orders. But there's tariff risk (management previously guided a $1.1B tariff impact for the quarter), and the stock has struggled to break above its 2024 highs near $250. Services now account for nearly a third of revenue with 75% gross margins, which is helping stabilize overall margins around 46%-47%. AMAZON — The e-commerce and cloud behemoth is expected to grow profits 9% and revenue 12%. AWS is the key here — growth has been around 17% year-over-year, which is below expectations. Some of that is due to capacity constraints and power issues. But advertising continues to be a bright spot, bolstering profitability in the North America retail segment. If AWS shows signs of reacceleration, this stock could fly. ELI LILLY — Weight-loss drugs are the story. Demand has been insane, and Lilly is racing to keep up with supply. This report will tell us if they're gaining or losing ground to competitors like Novo Nordisk. MASTERCARD — See Visa notes above. Consumer spending trends will be the focus. COINBASE — Bitcoin volatility and crypto ETF flows will dictate how this report is received. The stock has been on a wild ride, and earnings could add more fuel to the fire. REDDIT — The newly public social media company is trying to prove it can monetize its massive user base. Advertising and user engagement metrics will be critical. Also reporting: Merck, Comcast, Gilead Sciences, Bristol Myers Squibb, Altria, Roblox, Roku, Cloudflare, First Solar, Riot Platforms (crypto mining), and about 50 others. The Trump-Xi Meeting: This is huge. President Trump and President Xi are meeting face-to-face at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit in South Korea. After weeks of uncertainty and escalating trade tensions, this meeting could result in a longer-term trade deal — or more of the same. Markets will be watching closely for any announcements. The European Central Bank THE EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK & BANK OF JAPAN Bank of Japan also announce their monetary policy decisions. Both are expected to keep rates unchanged at 2% and 0.5%, respectively. Friday, October 31: The Energy Giants Close It OutEXXON MOBIL & CHEVRON — Both oil majors are expected to report declines in revenue and profit due to sector headwinds. But here's the thing: a colder-than-average winter could boost natural gas demand and support higher prices, which would benefit both companies. ExxonMobil is trading at a discount to both its historical valuation and the broader energy sector. Chevron's valuation looks attractive given oil supply dynamics and potential upside from natural gas. Plus, both stocks offer above-average dividend yields. Also reporting: AbbVie, Charter Communications, Linde, and a few others. Oh, and the Core PCE price index for September drops — the Fed's favorite inflation gauge. It was up 2.9% in both August and July, so any movement here will be closely watched. The Stocks Everyone's Talking AboutThe Magnificent Seven Dominate Apple, Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta are the main event. Combined, these five companies account for a massive chunk of the S&P 500's market cap. Their results will set the tone for the entire market. AI strategies, cloud momentum, digital advertising trends, and consumer demand signals are what investors are dying to hear about. SoFi: The Fintech RocketUp 139% in six months. They're expanding aggressively — crypto, options trading, personal finance tools. Revenue is expected to grow 30%, and they've beaten revenue expectations in 8 straight quarters. But the stock has only a Hold rating from analysts due to valuation concerns and lack of sustained free cash flow. High retail participation makes it volatile, so position sizing matters here. NXP Semiconductors: The Auto Chip PlayThe automotive semiconductor market has stabilized, but demand is still soft. NXP could benefit long-term from the rise of full self-driving and increasing semiconductor content per vehicle, but near-term growth visibility is uncertain. They've beaten earnings expectations in 7 of the past 8 quarters, so consistency is there. Chevron & ExxonMobil: The Dividend PlaysBoth are trading at attractive valuations with solid dividend yields. A colder winter could be the catalyst that lifts natural gas prices and boosts profits. For ExxonMobil, a $0.1/MBTU increase in natural gas prices could add $0.08 to EPS and push the stock to $130-$135. What Else Is HappeningIPO Watch: MapLight Therapeutics, HW Electro, and travel tech company Navan are expected to price and begin trading this week. Dividend Watch: Realty Income, Morgan Stanley, Cal-Maine, and Citizens Financial all have ex-dividend dates coming up. Volatility Watch: Inhibrx Biosciences and Deckers Outdoor are set up for volatile trading based on options volume. Beyond Meat and Kohl's are heading into the week with high short interest. Conferences: Adobe MAX 2025 runs all week in San Francisco (Nvidia, Amazon, and Dell are participating), and the Ira Sohn San Francisco conference is happening Tuesday. Historically, some stocks have jumped after hedge funds made pitches at this event. Spinoff Alert: Honeywell officially spins off its advanced materials business on Thursday. It'll become a standalone publicly traded company called Solstice Advanced Materials. Honeywell shareholders as of October 17 will receive one share of Solstice for every four shares of Honeywell they hold. Shareholder Vote: Core Scientific shareholders vote Thursday on the $9 billion acquisition offer from CoreWeave. The Bottom LineThis is the most important week of the quarter, maybe the year. The Fed is cutting rates, Big Tech is reporting, and Trump and Xi are sitting down face-to-face. Any one of these events could move the market. All three happening in the same week? That's a recipe for volatility — and opportunity. Here's what to watch for: Can Big Tech justify its sky-high valuations with strong earnings and forward guidance? Will the Fed signal more rate cuts are coming, or are they going to pump the brakes? Can Trump and Xi make progress on trade, or is this just a photo op? Are consumers still spending, or are we finally seeing cracks in demand? With the S&P 500 at record highs, sentiment is strong. But sentiment can turn on a dime, especially during earnings season. Stay sharp, watch the key reports, and don't get caught off guard. This week separates the signal from the noise. Let's see who delivers. No more staring at charts. No more burnout. No more guesswork.TriSignal Scanner watches the market for you and alerts the moment pressure breaks. Your time is valuable — your trades should be too. 👉 Join TriSignal and automate your breakout hunt. Stay locked in, and I'll see you on the other side of this earnings bonanza. Good luck out there! 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