What to Expect in the Week Ahead (MSFT, AMD, NVO and AAPL Earnings; Fed's Rate Decision and U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls)

The week ahead includes the Fed interest-rate decision and the release of U.S. nonfarm payroll data. Additionally, investors will be eagerly anticipating financial reports from major U.S. tech corporations, as well as the largest firms in Europe, such as $Novo-Nordisk A/S (NVO.US)$.

As January draws to a close, the earnings season is set to feature major financial reports from tech titans $Microsoft (MSFT.US)$ and $Apple (AAPL.US)$, which reached a market capitalization of $3 trillion, as well as $Alphabet-A (GOOGL.US)$, $Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)$, $Amazon (AMZN.US)$, and $Meta Platforms (META.US)$. In addition, updates will be provided by $Boeing (BA.US)$, $Pfizer (PFE.US)$, $Chevron (CVX.US)$, and $Exxon Mobil (XOM.US)$.

$Microsoft (MSFT.US)$ will release its earnings report on Tuesday after the market closes. Analysts expect Microsoft to report strong financial results for Q2 FY2024, including its highest revenue in seven quarters and a rise in EPS. The company's Intelligent Cloud segment, which includes AI-powered offerings, is anticipated to be a key driver of revenue growth.

$Advanced Micro Devices (AMD.US)$ is set to release its Q4 earnings report on January 30 after the close of trading. The analysts anticipate a significant boost in earnings in comparison to the previous year, attributable to a noteworthy upswing of 9.64% in revenues, which are projected to reach $6.14 billion. AMD's stock has recently experienced a significant surge, as investors perceive a lucrative opportunity driven by the rapid expansion of data centers and the heightened demand for AMD's artificial intelligence GPUs.

$Apple (AAPL.US)$ is expected to report its Q1 fiscal 2024 earnings on Feb.1, with analysts forecasting the company's highest net income since Q1 fiscal 2022, an 11% YoY increase in EPS to $2.09, and a less than 1% YoY increase in revenue - the first gain since Q4 fiscal 2022. The sales of Apple's iPhone 15, launched in September, are anticipated to fuel earnings growth.