Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and the Fed: What to watch in the markets this week

The earnings stampede becomes a full-blown deluge this week, with hundreds of companies set to report, including dozens of heavyweights

By Catherine Baab3 min readUpdated July 27, 2025

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Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, and the Fed: What to watch in the markets this week

Kent Nishimura/Getty Images

Last week, investors digested a tale of two tech giants: Alphabet $GOOGL rose on strong search results amid the larger AI reckoning, while Tesla $TSLA tumbled after disappointing sales and a troubled outlook. Meanwhile, President Trump announced a new trade deal with Japan. But across the Atlantic, the E.U. signaled its readiness to deploy unprecedented retaliatory measures if a suitable deal isn’t reached — raising the stakes for global markets. Meanwhile, GM and toy companies saw tariff hit their margins, hard.

What was already an earnings stampede becomes a full-blown deluge this week, with hundreds of companies set to report, including dozens of heavyweights. But the real spotlight falls on Washington, where the Federal Reserve will announce its latest rate decision Wednesday. That’s flanked by a barrage of key economic data, including GDP, PCE inflation, and Friday’s closely watched jobs report — all of which could help shape the next phase of monetary policy.

Monday, July 28

The week starts quietly on the data front, with no major economic reports — but that calm won’t last. Notable earnings will begin to come in Monday evening, including Cadence $CDNS Design, Waste Management $WM, and Nucor — offering early reads on industrial demand, trash and recycling services, and the effect of tariffs on the steel industry.

Tuesday, July 29

The dam breaks on Tuesday, with a wall of economic data and 172 earnings reports hitting before analysts even finish their coffee.

The morning kicks off with advanced readings on trade, retail, and wholesale inventories — all critical inputs for Q3 GDP math — followed by the S&P Case-Shiller home price index, fresh consumer confidence numbers, and June job openings.

Meanwhile, earnings land from large caps across every sector you can think of, including Visa $V, Procter & Gamble $PG, UnitedHealth $UNH, Boeing $BA, Starbucks $SBUX, and PayPal $PYPL, to name just a few. It’s a day that could shape narratives on the U.S. consumer, healthcare, and the state of payments — all before the Fed even steps up to the mic.

Wednesday, July 30

Buckle up: Wednesday is a breakneck day for markets, with 294 companies reporting and the Federal Reserve front and center.

The morning begins with ADP’s private payrolls report, Q2 GDP, and pending home sales — a trifecta that could shift recession odds in real time. But all eyes will be looking towards 2 p.m. Eastern, when the Fed announces its latest interest-rate decision, followed by Chair Jerome Powell’s press conference at 2:30 p.m. Expect parsing of every syllable, even though markets don't currently expect a rate change.

On the earnings front, Big Tech leads the charge. Microsoft $MSFT, Meta $META, Qualcomm $QCOM, and ADP all report, with investors watching closely for updates on AI costs and monetization, cloud demand, and corporate IT spending.

Thursday, July 31

It’s a deluge. Thursday brings the week’s heaviest data dump — and the most earnings reports, with 334 companies on deck.

The morning starts with the full PCE inflation suite, personal income and spending, the Q2 employment cost index, and initial jobless claims — all at 8:30 a.m. ET. This is the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, landing just one day after its rate decision, so the stakes are high.

On the corporate side, it’s another heavyweight session: Apple $AAPL and Amazon $AMZN headline after the bell, while Mastercard $MA, AbbVie, Shell $SHEL, Unilever, and S&P Global $SPGI report in the morning. From AI to consumer health to global oil flows, nearly every sector will be seeing action.

Friday, August 1

The week ends with a bang: The July jobs report hits at 8:30 a.m. ET, alongside figures on unemployment, hourly wages, and wage growth. Also on deck: final reads on July U.S. manufacturing from S&P and ISM. Earnings taper off somewhat but still feature oil and consumer giants, with ExxonMobil $XOM, Chevron $CVX, Colgate $CL-Palmolive, and Motorola Solutions $MSI all reporting before the bell.

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