Quick Summary
Microsoft sinks on Azure growth concerns
Meta rallies on strong earnings and AI confidence
AI capex expectations are reshaping valuations
Guidance matters more than headline beats
A volatile Wall Street session saw Big Tech earnings dominate market moves, with a sharp sell-off in Microsoft dragging the Nasdaq lower, even as peers like Meta Platforms and IBM rallied strongly.
What’s Driving the Market
Nasdaq fell over 2%, led by a steep Microsoft decline
Investors punished slowing cloud growth, despite earnings beats
AI spending remains a key theme, but expectations are rising even faster
Biggest Stock Movers
Microsoft (MSFT)
-11%, despite beating earnings and revenue estimates
Azure growth slowed to 39%, with Q3 guidance below expectations
Key concern: Cloud momentum may be peaking
Meta Platforms (META)
+7.8% after beating Q4 earnings and revenue
2026 capex could reach US$135B, nearly double last year
Market takeaway: AI spending is starting to pay off
Tesla (TSLA)
-2.2% despite earnings beat
Announced US$2B investment in xAI
Will discontinue Model S and X
Robo-taxi launch planned for H1 2026
IBM (IBM)
+5.6% on strong software growth
Software revenue +14% to US$9B
Also unveiled new quantum computing results
ServiceNow (NOW)
-12%, despite earnings beat
Investors uneasy over aggressive AI-related acquisitions
SAP (SAP)
-17% as cloud revenue missed expectations
Earnings beat wasn’t enough to offset growth concerns
Royal Caribbean (RCL)
+16%, best performer in the S&P 500
2026 earnings guidance smashed forecasts
Southwest Airlines (LUV)
+12% after earnings beat
Strong 2026 profit outlook, driven by new fees and cost controls
Apple (AAPL)
Flat ahead of earnings
Focus on iPhone sales and rising memory costs tied to AI demand
Market Takeaway
Earnings beats are no longer enough — guidance and growth trajectory matter more
Cloud and AI execution risks are now front and centre
Stock moves are becoming more extreme, reflecting stretched valuations

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