It’s a nervous start to the week in the equities space as risk trades are reserving some caution amid the madness elsewhere. The Japanese yen is a key focus point with intervention risks on the extreme while precious metals continue to fly as the parabolic move continues. All of this with the dollar continuing to be bashed across the board as well.
What a truly wild first month of 2026 this has been.
Amid the chaotic start to this week as well, stock futures down with Asian indices also keeping lower as we approach the closing stages. Geopolitical tensions remain in the picture as well but at least for now, we’re not seeing much escalation.
S&P 500 futures are down 0.2% but that’s a stark improvement after having opened with a gap down of nearly 1%. Nasdaq futures are down 0.3% while Dow futures are also down 0.2%, reaffirming the slightly softer sentiment for now.
While other market happenings, geopolitical issues, and also the Fed will factor into the equation this week, perhaps the most important thing on the agenda for Wall Street will be key earnings releases. And this week, we’ll get four of the Magnificent 7 reporting. So, that’s quite the blockbuster list of companies reporting right there.
On Wednesday, we’ll get Microsoft, Meta, and Tesla all after the close. And on Thursday, Apple will be the one reporting after the close.
Big tech aside, there are also other notable names reporting this week with it being the second busiest week in terms of the Q4 earnings schedule. The likes of Boeing, UnitedHealth, ASML, Visa, Mastercard, and Exxon Mobil are all also set to report.
And don’t forget, there’s also month-end flows to factor into the picture with it being the final trading week of January. So, strap yourselves in. It’s going to be quite the ride for markets this week.
This article was written by Justin Low at investinglive.com.