Earnings live: telecom and chip stocks surge, closing a tech‑heavy earnings week
The earnings season has kicked into high gear this week, with several of the biggest names in technology releasing their fourth‑quarter results. A handful of giants—an electric vehicle maker, a social media conglomerate, a consumer electronics company, and a cloud services leader—reported figures that surprised on the upside. Their performances helped keep the market’s mood upbeat, even as analysts sifted through the data for clues about the broader economy.
Meanwhile, the broader index is already showing signs of resilience. About one‑third of the companies in the major market index have reported their fourth‑quarter numbers, and estimates suggest earnings per share will rise by roughly 12%. If that holds, it would mark a decade of consecutive quarterly growth for the index, and the fifth straight quarter of double‑digit gains.
Wall Street had been projecting a sizable jump in earnings per share, around 8.3%, which is a drop from the 13.6% growth seen in the third quarter. The recent uptick in expectations, especially for the technology sector, reflects confidence that capital spending will continue to fuel earnings.
The tech results set the tone for the week, as companies keep investing heavily. The themes that drove markets last year—artificial intelligence, trade policy shifts, and a bifurcated consumer economy—are still on analysts’ radar, offering plenty of material for discussion.
It wasn’t just tech firms that posted updates. The week also brought news from telecom operators, major oil producers, and a leading health insurer, each offering insights into their respective industries’ trajectories.
Looking ahead, investors will turn their attention to a handful of other names. A media entertainment group, a fast‑casual restaurant chain, a beverage and snack giant, a data‑analytics company, a ride‑hailing service, and a visual‑story platform are all set to report in the coming days.
In other highlights, a fintech lender saw its profits jump thanks to strong fee‑based business growth, while the telecom provider announced an upbeat outlook for the year on the back of record subscriber gains. Meanwhile, the oil majors delivered mixed results: one company beat earnings estimates but saw its stock slip after the announcement, and another surpassed profit expectations while outlining new investment plans.
The week ended on a high note for the memory‑chip sector. A leading manufacturer of memory chips posted earnings that far exceeded expectations, underscoring the sustained demand for memory products driven by artificial‑intelligence workloads.
