Good morning, traders…
Strap in.
After two weeks of choppy, whipsaw price action…
The stock market now faces a crucial test.
This is the biggest earnings week of the year, with more than 20% of the S&P 500 reporting.
And the five names that matter most all report between Wednesday and Friday.
If you’re trading options, holding open positions, or thinking about entering new setups…
You need to understand just how much is at stake this week.
These five companies represent trillions in market cap. They’ve been the backbone of this decade-long bull run. When they move, the entire market moves with them.
After the past two weeks of uncertainty, these earnings reports have the potential to begin a new uptrend — or send us into another sell-off.
The market is at an all-time high. Expectations are through the roof. AI spending is going parabolic, and investors want to see that these companies are actually monetizing it.
If these reports come in strong and guidance is solid, we could see the major indexes push to even higher highs.
But if they disappoint (or if guidance is cautious), the selling pressure we’ve seen over the past two weeks could accelerate fast.
You can’t afford to guess your way through the most consequential earnings week of 2025…
Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ: META)
Reporting: Wednesday, October 29 (after close)
Expected EPS: $6.74
Expected Revenue: $49.34 billion
META’s advertising business is benefiting from AI-driven ad products on Instagram, Threads, and WhatsApp.
But the company is pouring billions into AI infrastructure and Reality Labs. Such high spending drags on margins.
What I’m Watching: Ad revenue growth, margin trends, and Q4 guidance. Analyst sentiment is strong (price target near $827), but if margins compress more than expected, this stock could sell off despite beating estimates.
Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT)
Reporting: Wednesday, October 29 (after close)
Expected EPS: $3.20
Expected Revenue: $76 billion
MSFT is exposed across Azure, enterprise software, and AI tools. Last quarter delivered 18.1% year-over-year revenue growth.
The company’s major stake in OpenAI is also in focus.
What I’m Watching: Azure growth and margins, AI monetization (is Copilot driving revenue?), and guidance. Margins are expected to be around 35%, down from 37%. If spending translates into revenue growth, the market rewards it. If not, expect selling.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL)
Reporting: Thursday, October 30 (after close)
Expected EPS: $2.33
GOOGL raised its full-year CapEx to around $85 billion for cloud and AI infrastructure. But is it monetizing AI fast enough to justify the spending?
What I’m Watching: Core search and YouTube ad growth, Google Cloud margins, and AI monetization. Search advertising is Google’s revenue powerhouse, but cloud and AI are the growth drivers.
Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN)
Reporting: Thursday, October 30 (after close)
Expected EPS: $1.57
Expected Revenue: $172.8 billion
AMZN is complex: e-commerce, AWS (the margin driver), advertising, and subscriptions. Last quarter beat expectations.
What I’m Watching: AWS growth and margins — this is everything. If AWS slows, the entire story gets questioned. Also watching retail margins, advertising growth, and Q4 guidance. If AWS beats and guidance is strong, this stock could rip.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL)
Reporting: Thursday, October 30 (after close)
Expected EPS: $1.44
Expected Revenue: $89.54 billion
AAPL reported 5% revenue growth last quarter. The business is dominated by device hardware, but the services portion carries higher margins.
What I’m Watching: iPhone sales volume, Services revenue growth, and supply chain risks. AAPL flagged $900 million in tariff costs. Apple’s a strong cash-flow generator, but the growth story is less dramatic than its peers. Investors want innovation signals … let’s see what the company tells us.
How I’m Trading These Reports
Rather than betting on these earnings reports directly, I’m watching for post-earnings setups.
If a stock beats and holds support the next day, that’s intriguing…
If a stock sells off but finds support at a key level, I’m paying attention…
But I’m not gambling on the initial reaction.
Track these reports, pay close attention to the post-earnings price action, and focus on the patterns that consistently work for you.
Those are the only kinds of setups I’m trading right now.
That’s why I’m going back to the basics and trading the 1 strategy that works in 80% of market conditions.*
I’m talking about the same approach I used to turn $50 into $1,260 in just 2 months…*
And I’m about to reveal exactly how YOU can weaponize this strategy during my Simpler Options 2-Day Virtual Bootcamp.
If you’ve been wanting to understand how options really work, now is the time…
The market won’t wait for you to figure this out on your own.
Happy trading,
Ben Sturgill
*Past performance does not indicate future results
