Core Insights - Two of the Magnificent Seven stocks, Alphabet and Amazon, are set to report earnings this week, following four others that reported last week, which could impact market indexes and ETFs [1] Group 1: Alphabet - Analysts expect Alphabet to report Q4 earnings per share of $2.62 and revenue of $104.75 billion, compared to $2.15 and $96.47 billion in the same quarter last year [4] - Alphabet has consistently beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share for 11 consecutive quarters and for revenue in nine of the last ten quarters [4] - Price targets for Alphabet stock have been raised ahead of the earnings report, with Goldman Sachs maintaining a Buy rating and a $375 price target, highlighting monetization opportunities from its AI platform, Genie 3 [5][6][7] Group 2: Amazon - Analysts expect Amazon to report Q4 earnings per share of $1.96 and revenue of $211.33 billion, compared to $1.86 and $187.79 billion in the same quarter last year [8] - Amazon has beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share for 12 consecutive quarters and for revenue in nine of the last ten quarters [8] - Following a low performance in 2025, expectations for Amazon in 2026 are higher, with analysts noting a potential "major technical breakout" as shares have been trading flat over the past year [9][10] Group 3: Recent Earnings Performance - The four companies that reported earnings last week all achieved double beats, exceeding analyst estimates for both earnings per share and revenue [11] - Meta Platforms was the standout performer, with shares surging post-earnings, while Microsoft saw a decline, and Apple and Tesla had mixed results [12]

box office surprise for Melania Trump's new documentary. The Amazon film, which follows the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump's second inauguration, pulled in $7 million domestically in its opening weekend. That's above earlier forecasts of around 5 million, according to ComCore.That makes Melania the biggest non-music documentary debut in more than a decade with data showing a strong turnout from women, older viewers, and rural theaters even as critical reviews were mostly negative. ...

Core Insights - Amazon is laying off 2,198 employees in Washington as part of a corporate workforce reduction, with software development roles being the most affected [1][2] - The layoffs are part of a larger plan impacting 16,000 corporate employees globally, marking the largest workforce reduction in Amazon's history [3][4] - The company aims to streamline operations by reducing layers of management and bureaucracy, particularly within its technical teams [6] Layoff Details - Over 1,400 of the layoffs are in Seattle, with more than 600 in Bellevue, where Amazon has been expanding its office presence [3] - The layoffs include senior- and principal-level employees and primarily affect Amazon's core product and engineering organizations, along with other support functions [2][3] - Previous layoffs in October involved 2,303 employees in Washington, contributing to a total of over 4,500 corporate workers laid off in the state within a year [4][5] Company Strategy - Amazon's recent layoffs are part of a broader strategy to address corporate "bloat" and adapt to economic uncertainties, with many companies in the tech sector also reducing headcount [10] - The company has implemented a five-day return-to-office policy, which has faced some pushback but is intended to support local businesses [11] - Amazon is also closing all Amazon Go and Amazon Fresh stores nationwide, resulting in an additional 400 layoffs in Washington state, separate from the corporate layoffs [12] Economic Context - The Seattle area has experienced job losses across all sectors, with a total of 12,900 jobs lost last year, marking the first annual decrease since 2009 [10] - The broader layoffs in the tech sector may have implications for Seattle's commercial real estate market, which is currently facing high vacancy rates [11]

Markets are punishing ambiguity and rewarding candor as tech giants spell out the true cost—and confidence—behind their AI investment plans. ...

Core Insights - LVMH's champagne division, which includes brands such as Moet & Chandon and Veuve Clicquot, has reached an agreement with labor representatives to compensate workers for lost bonuses [1] Group 1 - The CGT union announced the deal regarding compensation for workers affected by lost bonuses [1]

Melania, a documentary about the first lady and the days leading up to her husband's second inauguration, took in a stronger-than-expected $7 million at US and Canadian theaters in its opening weekend, according to Comscore Inc.The film, which is distributed by Amazon.com Inc.'s MGM Studios, was expected to generate $1 million to $2 million in opening weekend ticket sales, according to estimates from industry tracker Boxoffice Pro. NRG, another forecaster, was predicting $5 million. The movie focuses on Mel ...

Core Viewpoint - Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) is expected to release its Q4 earnings on February 5th, and there is a sentiment of pausing further investments in the company at this time [1]. Group 1: Company Overview - Amazon is a major player in the e-commerce and cloud computing sectors, with significant market influence [1]. Group 2: Financial Insights - The company has a strong financial background, with a focus on analyzing financial statements and market trends to identify growth drivers [1].

Core Viewpoint - Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) is expected to release its Q4 earnings on February 5th, and there is a sentiment of caution regarding further investments in the company at this time [1]. Group 1: Company Overview - Amazon is preparing to announce its Q4 earnings, which is a significant event for investors and analysts [1]. - The company has been a focus for equity research, indicating its importance in the public markets [1]. Group 2: Analyst Background - The analysis is provided by a Chief Financial Officer with over a decade of experience in finance, particularly in oilfield and real estate industries, highlighting a strong financial background [1]. - The analyst has developed an interest in equity research and has provided services for a Dubai-based family office with over $20 million in assets under management, showcasing expertise in investment analysis [1].

Core Viewpoint - The tech sector is experiencing significant shifts, particularly with companies like Alphabet and Amazon focusing on AI and cloud services as key growth drivers [2][7]. Alphabet (Google) - Google is transitioning from a search-centric model to an AI orchestration layer, with success in the upcoming earnings report hinging on performance in the Google Cloud Platform, which has consistently shown growth above 30% [3][5]. - The integration of AI, particularly through the Gemini platform, is crucial for Google's overall strategy, impacting various products including Workspace and Pixel devices [4][5]. - The upcoming earnings report will be the first full quarter reflecting the new Pixel 10 range, which is expected to showcase the AI capabilities [4][6]. Amazon - Amazon's earnings report will be closely watched for capital expenditure (capex) trends, especially in relation to Amazon Web Services (AWS) [7][9]. - The market is interested in how AWS is managing its GPU resources, with current demand being met rather than building for future demand [9][10]. AMD and Nvidia - AMD had a strong performance last year, and there are expectations for continued momentum, with the market seeking a more balanced competitive landscape alongside Nvidia [12][13]. - The demand for inference workloads is anticipated to increase significantly, potentially by 10 times, which aligns with the broader shift in AI applications [14][15]. Qualcomm - Qualcomm is expanding its total addressable market (TAM) beyond high-end smartphones into industrial, edge, and automotive sectors, indicating strong growth potential [19][20]. - The upcoming earnings report is expected to reflect this expansion and the positive trajectory of Qualcomm's business strategy [21].

Quick Read Oracle (ORCL) plans to raise $40B to $50B to expand cloud infrastructure for major AI customers including Meta, Nvidia and OpenAI. Oracle’s remaining performance obligations surged to $523B. This represents roughly 8.5 times annual revenue. Oracle’s trailing free cash flow turned negative at $13B as capital expenditures soared past operating cash flow. Investors rethink 'hands off' investing and decide to start making real money Oracle (NYSE:ORCL) announced on Friday that it expects to r ...