U.S. stock index futures edged higher on Thursday, January 29, 2026, as investors continued to digest a flurry of tech earnings and the Federal Reserve's latest monetary policy decision. The premarket session saw mixed signals, with some tech giants experiencing significant movements, while broader market sentiment remained cautious following the Fed's widely anticipated decision to hold interest rates steady. This dynamic landscape underscores a market increasingly responsive to corporate performance, part ...

Core Viewpoint - Meta's stock has shown a slight decline of 1% over the past year, but a recent earnings report has led to a 10% increase in pre-market trading, indicating positive investor sentiment following better-than-expected financial results [2][3]. Financial Performance - Meta reported a 24% revenue growth in Q4 2025, reaching approximately $60 billion, which exceeded expectations by about $1.5 billion. The earnings per share were $8.88, 8% above consensus estimates. The forecast for Q1 2026 is around $55 billion, which is $4.6 billion more than previous estimates [3]. - Analysts project a 26% rise in Meta's stock, with an average 12-month price target of $845.76 based on insights from 44 analysts [3]. AI and Future Outlook - Meta's CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed confidence in the company's future, highlighting the rebuilding of their AI program's foundations and the upcoming release of new models and products [4]. - The company plans to nearly double its AI spending to as high as $135 billion by 2026, aiming to enhance its core advertising business, which is valued at $200 billion [5][11]. Challenges and Risks - Despite the optimism, there are concerns regarding Meta's ability to successfully commercialize AI, especially after the struggles faced with the Metaverse initiative, which has resulted in significant losses [6][9]. - Meta's Reality Labs has incurred losses nearing $80 billion since 2020, with a recent quarter showing a $6 billion operating loss against $955 million in revenue [7][8]. Advertising Revenue and AI Integration - AI has been a significant contributor to Meta's advertising revenue growth, with a reported return of $4.52 for every dollar spent by advertisers. The Advantage+ AI advertising tools generated nearly three times more revenue in Q3 2025 compared to Q1 2025, reaching a $60 billion annualized run rate [10]. - The integration of AI is expected to boost user engagement by 20% among Meta's 350 million Threads active users, potentially leading to additional revenue growth from WhatsApp ads [15]. Analyst Sentiment - Analysts remain largely bullish on Meta's prospects, with a focus on the company's ability to drive growth in revenue and profit through AI, despite the significant capital expenditures [18][19]. - Investors are willing to overlook the high spending on AI infrastructure, anticipating that it will lead to better-than-expected growth in the core advertising business [19].

Core Insights - Schroders is engaging in high-level discussions regarding potential partnerships to accelerate the growth of its private capital business [1] Company Developments - The discussions are aimed at enhancing the capabilities and market position of Schroders' private capital segment, which is a strategic focus for the company [1] - Schroders has a long history of 222 years, indicating its established presence in the financial services industry [1] Industry Context - The move reflects a broader trend in the financial services industry where firms are seeking to expand their private capital offerings through strategic alliances [1] - The private capital market is becoming increasingly competitive, prompting firms like Schroders to explore partnerships to enhance growth and service offerings [1]

Quick Read Stanley Druckenmiller’s family office holds concentrated positions in Microsoft (MSFT), Nvidia (NVDA), Google (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN) and Meta (META). Amazon Q3 operating margin reached 11.1% as AWS profitability scales. Amazon net income grew 36.4% to $21.19B. Nvidia trades at a 0.70 PEG ratio despite Q3 revenue growing 62.5% to $57.01B with 107.4% ROE. Investors rethink 'hands off' investing and decide to start making real money Stanley Druckenmiller never had a losing year in three d ...

Company Earnings - Meta Platforms (META) reported better than expected fourth quarter results and forecast first quarter revenues above analyst estimates, leading to a 9.2% spike in pre-market trading [2] - IBM Corp. (IBM) also exceeded expectations on both top and bottom lines in its fourth quarter results, resulting in a sharp increase in pre-market trading [2] - Tesla (TSLA) reported better than expected fourth quarter results, which may contribute to an upward movement in its stock [2] Market Reactions - Microsoft (MSFT) shares dropped by 6.3% in pre-market trading after reporting slowing cloud computing growth and disappointing third quarter operating margin guidance [3] - Major U.S. stock indexes ended the previous session mixed, with the S&P 500 down 0.57 points, the Dow up 12.19 points, and the Nasdaq up 40.35 points [4] - Gold stocks surged by 2.7% to a new record closing high amid rising gold prices, while computer hardware stocks also saw a 2.6% increase [8][9] Economic Indicators - The U.S. trade deficit widened significantly to $56.8 billion in November from a revised $29.2 billion in October, driven by a 5.0% spike in imports and a 3.6% drop in exports [26][27] - Initial jobless claims decreased to 209,000, down 1,000 from the previous week's revised level, while the four-week moving average increased to 206,250 [25][26]

Futures are higher, led by tech, after the first batch of Mag7 earnings with gold breaking new record highs again, rising as high as $5600. As of 8:00am ET, S&P futures are up 0.2% while the Nasdaq if barely in the green; pre-mkt it's a mixed picture with META (+7.9%) rising on higher than expected capex forecast, while MSFT (-6.6%) tumbles on... higher than expected capex forecast; TSLA is also modestly in the green, up +2.8%; AAPL reports today today then AMZN / GOOG next week. Cyclicals are trading highe ...

智通财经1月29日讯（编辑 夏军雄）周四，美股股指期货小幅走高，投资者正在权衡多家大型科技公司 发布的财报，以及美联储最新的利率决定。欧洲主要指数普遍上涨。 （来源：英为财情） 据报道，英伟达、亚马逊与微软正在商讨向OpenAI投资高达600亿美元，英伟达投资至多300亿美元， 融资前OpenAI估值可能达7300亿美元。 Meta在盘前交易中大涨9%，此前该公司给出了好于预期的一季度销售指引。同为"科技七巨 头"（Magnificent Seven）成员的特斯拉股价也上涨2%，其第四季度业绩超出市场预期。 不过，微软股价下跌近7%，限制了大盘涨幅。微软报告称，第二财季云业务增长放缓，同时对第三财 季的营业利润率给出了偏弱的指引。 目前，投资者将目光转向苹果，该公司计划于周四美股收盘后公布财报。 在其他财报方面，卡特彼勒盘前股价上涨逾1%，这家工业巨头公布的第四季度业绩大幅好于华尔街预 期。 美联储周三维持利率不变，符合市场预期。联邦公开市场委员会（FOMC）表示，多项指标显示"经济 活动正以稳健的步伐扩张"，失业率"已显现出一定的稳定迹象"。 根据芝商所美联储利率观察工具，市场目前仍预计今年会有两次幅度为2 ...

After ending the previous session little changed, stocks may move to the upside in early trading on Thursday. The major index futures are currently pointing to a modestly higher open for the , with the S&P 500 futures up by 0.2 percent.A positive reaction to earnings news from Meta Platforms (META) may lead to early strength on Wall Street, as the Facebook parent is spiking by 9.2 percent in pre-market trading.The surge by Meta comes after the company reported better than expected fourth quarter results an ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 is attempting to reach the 7,000 level again, with mixed earnings results creating some headwinds [2][5] - Initial unemployment claims data is expected to be lower than street expectations, which could be bullish for the market [3] - The dollar is declining, positively impacting commodity prices, particularly copper, which is seeing significant gains [3][4] Meta Platforms - Meta's shares are up approximately 8.7% in pre-market trading, with revenue exceeding expectations at $59.8 billion, compared to the expected $58.5 billion [7][8] - Adjusted earnings per share came in at $8.88, beating the expected $8.81, and guidance for future revenue was a major beat by about $3.5 billion [8] - Q4 revenue increased by 24% year-over-year, with strong advertising revenue [8] - The company is cutting costs in certain areas while increasing capital expenditures in strategic areas, particularly AI [9][10] - Analysts are raising price targets for Meta following its strong results [11] Microsoft - Microsoft shares are down about 6.7% in pre-market trading despite revenue exceeding expectations at $81.2 billion, compared to the expected $80.2 billion [12] - Adjusted earnings per share were $4.14, above the expected $3.88, but guidance for Q3 was in line with expectations, lacking a significant upside surprise [12][13] - Azure growth was 39% year-over-year, slightly below expectations, and future guidance for Azure growth is also lower than anticipated [13][14] - Concerns are arising regarding the concentration of spend with OpenAI, which constitutes 45% of Microsoft's backlog [16][17] - Morgan Stanley has removed Microsoft from its top pick list for 2026, contributing to selling pressure [18] IBM - IBM shares are up more than 8% following strong earnings, with revenue at $19.69 billion, exceeding the expected $19.2 billion [19] - Adjusted earnings per share were $4.52, above the expected $4.32, with automation unit growth at 18% year-over-year [19] - The AI business grew by $3 billion, and the data unit saw a 22% increase [20] - The government shutdown previously impacted the Red Hat business, but recovery is expected now that the government is operational [20] - IBM is also making strides in quantum computing, which may position it favorably against competitors [22]

Many investors are worried that the artificial intelligence (AI) sector is in a bubble. Whether or not there is merit to these fears, if you're concerned about the prospect of a bursting bubble but still want to invest in the trend, one approach would be to buy AI stocks that appear relatively undervalued. One great company that fits that description is Meta Platforms (NASDAQ: META). Its stock has lagged the market over the past six months, but it remains a top pick for buy-and-hold investors. Image sourc ...