This Week: Fed Decision and Big Tech Earnings
By Jacqueline Policastro | Quincy News Correspondent
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Washington (Quincy News) — Market Recap: Wall Street ended Friday mixed as another semiconductor selloff weighed on technology stocks. The Dow rose 0.46% and the S&P 500 edged up 0.05%, while the Nasdaq fell 0.64%. All three major indexes finished lower for the week.
The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index dropped 4.5% Friday, and Intel shares fell 7.9% amid broader concerns about whether large AI investments will produce profits quickly enough to justify elevated technology valuations.
Oil prices fell sharply over the weekend after the U.S. paused strikes on Iran. Brent crude futures dropped to around $90 a barrel Monday after briefly topping $100 last week, easing concerns that higher energy prices could push up gasoline prices and add to inflation.
Today’s Focus: The week’s main event is the Federal Reserve’s policy decision Wednesday. The Fed is expected to hold rates steady, but investors will watch Chair Kevin Warsh’s news conference for signals about inflation and the path ahead. For consumers, a hold keeps borrowing costs on mortgages, credit cards, and auto loans steady for now, even as rate-hike odds have risen this week.
Big Tech earnings will also drive markets. Microsoft and Meta report Wednesday, followed by Apple and Amazon on Thursday. Investors want clearer evidence that heavy spending on AI infrastructure is translating into sustainable revenue and profit growth.
Thursday brings the week’s biggest economic data lineup, including second-quarter GDP and the Fed’s preferred PCE inflation gauges.
ON THE SCHEDULE FOR THE WEEK OF MONDAY, JULY 27, 2026
-Monday – Treasury auctions 2-year and 5-year notes
-Tuesday, 10:00 a.m. ET – Conference Board Consumer Confidence Index (July)
-Tuesday, earnings – Boeing, Coca-Cola and Visa
-Wednesday, 2:00 p.m. ET – Federal Reserve interest-rate decision; 2:30 p.m. ET- Warsh press conference
-Wednesday, earnings – Microsoft and Meta
-Thursday, 8:30 a.m. ET – Q2 GDP (advance estimate), PCE inflation, and weekly jobless claims
-Thursday, earnings – Apple and Amazon
-Friday, 10:00 a.m. ET – University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment (Final, July)
-Friday, earnings – Exxon Mobil and Chevron
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