ZACKS·2026-01-23 23:55Core Insights - The Q4 earnings reporting cycle is set to begin, with over 300 companies, including four members of the 'Magnificent 7' and 102 S&P 500 members, scheduled to report results [1] - The 'Magnificent 7' stocks have underperformed the broader market over the past twelve months, with Meta and Microsoft showing particular weakness [2] - Key issues for Microsoft, Meta, and Apple are related to their activities in the AI sector, with Microsoft and Meta being significant spenders while Apple has been less active [3] Company-Specific Summaries - Microsoft: Expected to report earnings of $3.88 per share on revenues of $80.2 billion, reflecting year-over-year growth rates of +20.1% and +15.2% respectively, with positive revisions in estimates [5] - Meta: Anticipated to report earnings of $8.15 per share on revenues of $58.4 billion, indicating year-over-year growth rates of +1.6% and +20.7% respectively, following a significant drop in stock price after the last quarterly release [6] - Apple: Expected to report earnings of $2.65 per share on revenues of $137.5 billion, representing year-over-year gains of +10.4% and +10.6% respectively, with a positive trend in revisions [4] Market Overview - The 'Magnificent 7' group is projected to see Q4 earnings increase by +16.9% year-over-year, with revenues expected to rise by +16.6% [6] - As of January 23, Q4 earnings for 64 S&P 500 members have increased by +17.5% on +7.8% higher revenues, with 82.8% beating EPS estimates and 68.8% beating revenue estimates [20] - The overall earnings outlook for the 'Magnificent 7' group has been improving, with analysts raising their estimates ahead of the Q4 earnings season [12]