Alphabet, Microsoft, Meta Headline Earnings Week

Markets are in the busiest week of third-quarter earnings, with five of the “Magnificent Seven” and many other large companies reporting. As of Oct. 24, about 29% of S&P 500 companies had reported and analysts expected a 9.2% year-over-year EPS increase for Q3 — the ninth consecutive quarter of growth but a slowdown from Q2’s 12%. The season has started positively and investors are focused on results from Alphabet, Microsoft and Meta, which are scheduled to report after the close and could prompt immediate trader reactions. Analysts are watching AI- and cloud-related signals — Meta’s AI spending and deals, Alphabet’s search versus chatbot competition and cloud performance, and Microsoft’s Azure growth and PC momentum — for guidance on whether the megacap-led rally will continue or unwind. Real-time coverage and intraday data feeds are being monitored as investors parse results and guidance.