Here are the most important news items that investors need to start their trading day:
1. Rates and robots
For the main factors driving stocks, there are few bigger weeks than the one ahead. The Federal Reserve, which has so far succeeded in its push to curb inflation without triggering a recession in the U.S., will release its next interest rate decision on Wednesday. Investors expect the central bank to keep rates steady, after data last week showed the economy grew more than expected at the end of last year while inflation cooled. Meanwhile, many of the tech companies that have helped to push stocks near record highs will report results during a packed week of earnings. Follow live market updates here.
2. Tech week
This week will be the busiest one of earnings season, as about one-fifth of the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average will report. Many of the tech companies posting results, which are a handful of the largest U.S. businesses by market cap, have accounted for a disproportionate share of the stock market’s success in the last year. Investors will get a glimpse into the health of Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta and Apple, at a time when tech companies have carried out a string of layoffs. The major earnings go beyond tech: Boeing, General Motors and Starbucks will all report this week. Pharma also has a big week ahead, headlined by Novo Nordisk, which has seen its market cap soar amid a boom in weight loss drugs. Here are the reports to watch this week:
- Tuesday: General Motors, Pfizer, JetBlue, UPS (before the bell); Microsoft, Alphabet, Starbucks, Advanced Micro Devices (after the bell)
- Wednesday: Boeing, Novo Nordisk, GlaxoSmithKline (before the bell); Qualcomm (after the bell)
- Thursday: Merck, Peloton (before the bell); Amazon, Meta, Apple (after the bell)
- Friday: Bristol-Myers Squibb (before the bell)
3. Rough air
Boeing reports earnings as investors raise fresh questions about its 737 Max program. The company’s shares have dropped more than 20% this…
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