Big Week for Tech as Markets Brace for Fed Decision and Key Earnings Reports

Big Week for Tech as Markets Brace for Fed Decision and Key Earnings Reports

Key Takeaways:

• Investors will focus on Wednesday’s Federal Reserve interest rate decision and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments.
• Critical economic data releases include Q4 GDP and December PCE inflation.
• Major tech players, including Tesla, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, and Apple, will report earnings this week.
• Earnings reports are also expected from AT&T, Intel, Visa, ExxonMobil, and more.

The markets are gearing up for a pivotal week, with a spotlight on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate decision and an earnings season dominated by tech giants. Investors will listen closely to Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s remarks following the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) meeting for insights on future rate policy amid a changing economic and political landscape.

Additionally, economic updates will include Q4 gross domestic product (GDP) and December’s Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) inflation data, both critical indicators of the economy’s trajectory.

A Big Week for Tech
The highlight of the week will be earnings reports from the “Magnificent 7” tech members—Tesla (TSLA), Meta Platforms (META), Microsoft (MSFT), and Apple (AAPL). These companies’ results are expected to provide a clearer picture of the tech sector's health and investor sentiment as we enter 2025.

Other companies reporting this week include AT&T (T), General Motors (GM), Intel (INTC), Visa (V), Caterpillar (CAT), ExxonMobil (XOM), and Comcast (CMCSA).

Here’s a day-by-day breakdown of key events:

Monday, Jan. 27

• New home sales (December)
• Earnings from AT&T (T), SoFi (SOFI), and Brown & Brown (BRO)

Tuesday, Jan. 28

• FHFA Home Price Index (November)
• S&P Case-Shiller Home Price Index (November)
• Consumer Confidence (January)
• Durable Goods Orders (November)
• FOMC meeting begins
• Earnings from General Motors (GM), Boeing (BA), Starbucks (SBUX), Lockheed Martin (LMT), and SAP SE (SAP)

Wednesday, Jan. 29

• U.S. Trade Deficit (December)
• Wholesale Inventories (December)
• Retail Inventories (December)
• FOMC Interest Rate Decision
• Fed Chair Jerome Powell Press Conference
• Earnings from Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), Tesla (TSLA), ASML Holdings (ASML), and IBM (IBM)

Thursday, Jan. 30

• Q4 GDP (2024) and Full-Year GDP Data
• Initial Jobless Claims (Week Ending Jan. 25)
• Pending Home Sales (December)
• Earnings from Apple (AAPL), Visa (V), Intel (INTC), Mastercard (MA), and Caterpillar (CAT)

Friday, Jan. 31

• Employment Cost Index (Q4)
• PCE Price Index (December)
• Chicago Business Barometer (January)
• Earnings from ExxonMobil (XOM), Chevron (CVX), AbbVie (ABBV), and Colgate-Palmolive (CL)

This week’s tech-heavy earnings lineup and critical Fed updates will set the tone for the broader markets as investors assess the next steps for the economy and major sectors.