Stockmarket investors are looking to earnings this week from Apple, Amazon.com, and Meta Platforms for signs of whether Wall Street’s projections are too optimistic as the US economy cools.
“A lot of companies have announced restructuring efforts and cost-cutting plans, which has helped create more confidence among investors that companies can get through slowing economic growth,” said Wendy Soong, a senior associate analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence. “That’s why we’ve seen more upward rewarding for stock prices this time around than previously.”The reports next week from the mega-cap tech companies come after disappointing outlooks from Microsoft Corp and Intel Corp this week.
Overall, though, those who used options to wager on post-earnings rallies have achieved one of the best runs in years, underscoring the more bullish atmosphere. Traders who bought single-stock call options – or the right to purchase shares – five days before an earnings release this reporting season have reaped a 29 per cent average return on premium, or the amount paid for the option, data compiled by Goldman Sachs show.