Analysis

Ahead of its earnings report, Amazon has reportedly faced runaway costs across multiple AI projects, prompting engineering executives to urgently sound alarms and tighten controls.

Apple's plan to procure Chinese memory chips has been blocked by lawmakers, a move that favors the interests of Micron Technology and serves as a potential positive for its stock price.

TradingKey - Kioxia is set to release its Q1 FY2027 earnings report on July 31. However, the backdrop for this report has shifted significantly compared to a month ago. On June 22, Kioxia's share price reached 112,700 JPY (approximately $689), topping Japan's market capitalization rankings. As of the close on July 30, the price stood at 39,500 JPY per share, representing a decline of nearly 66% from its peak. Rather than the profit figures of the past three months, the market is more focused on whether this profit growth momentum can be sustained.

TradingKey - As of July 29 Eastern Time, Meta (META) released its second-quarter earnings for fiscal year 2026. While revenue grew 28% year-over-year to $60.8 billion, exceeding market expectations, Meta shares tumbled 7% in after-hours trading due to earnings missing expectations, a significant decline in free cash flow, and the continued increase in AI capital expenditure.

SpaceX has requested its suppliers to remove Chinese personnel and equipment to facilitate the acquisition of defense contracts. However, this move is expected to increase operating costs, posing a challenge to a short-term recovery in the company's share price.

TradingKey - During the Asia-Pacific session on July 30, Kioxia's share price surged over 16% in early trading before gradually retracing. By the close, the gain had narrowed to 2.92%, with the stock finishing at 39,500 yen (approximately $241).

TradingKey - The Federal Reserve did not raise interest rates at its July meeting, but Chairman Kevin Warsh's statements at the press conference sparked greater controversy than the rate decision itself.

The Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged, and Bitcoin continued its volatile trend, but the wave of crypto exchange collapses has placed the cryptocurrency under pressure.

TradingKey - As of the Asian session on July 30, gold prices (XAUUSD) surged and then retreated following the Federal Reserve meeting, dipping to as low as $4,028.62 during the session. From a technical perspective, gold prices briefly climbed to $4,116.28 after the Fed announced its interest rate decision but failed to hold the $4,100 level. As the market reassessed internal divisions within the Fed regarding rate hikes and U.S. Treasury yields rebounded, short-term bullish momentum for gold has significantly weakened.

TradingKey - On July 30, the closing performance of Japanese and South Korean stock markets continued to diverge. SK Hynix fell by more than 5%, Samsung dropped nearly 1%, and Kioxia rose nearly 3%.

TradingKey - During the Asia-Pacific session on July 30, Samsung Electronics disclosed its Q2 2026 financial results and held an earnings call. Operating profit for the quarter reached 89.49 trillion KRW (approximately $62 billion), representing a year-on-year increase of 1,813.8% and marking a record high for the third consecutive quarter. Samsung now ranks first among global semiconductor manufacturers in terms of quarterly earnings.

TradingKey - Microsoft (MSFT) earnings proved to the market that large-scale AI investment does not mean profitability is being eroded. Azure and other cloud services revenue grew 43% year-over-year, significantly exceeding market estimates and driving Azure’s annual revenue past the $100 billion mark for the first time. Boosted by the strong earnings report, Microsoft shares surged 8.88% in after-hours trading.

TradingKey - SanDisk stock has plunged over 50% from its peak as China's memory chip expansion raises supply concerns ahead of the company's August 5 earnings report.

TradingKey - Boeing stock fell over 4% despite beating Q2 revenue estimates. Analysts remain bullish as aircraft deliveries improve and 777X certification nears.

TradingKey - During the Asian trading session on July 30, Japanese and South Korean stock markets diverged in early trading. SK Hynix fell nearly 5%, Samsung rose more than 1%, and Kioxia climbed over 5%.

TradingKey - Pressured by a triple whammy of negative factors—escalating geopolitical tensions, the Fed’s tightening policy, and a cooling AI narrative—the three major U.S. stock indices all plunged on Wednesday.

On July 29 Eastern Time, Meta Platforms (META) saw its share price drop over 7% to $541.44 during post-market trading following the release of its second-quarter 2026 financial results. During the period, Meta reported revenue of $60.801 billion, a 28% year-over-year increase, slightly exceeding market expectations of $60.17 billion. The advertising business experienced growth in both volume and pricing, with ad impressions across the Family of Apps rising 14% year-over-year and the average price per ad increasing 12% year-over-year.

Microsoft (MSFT) released its fiscal second quarter 2026 earnings after the US market close on July 29, Eastern Time. Overall, the results delivered a "triple beat," with revenue, profit, and Azure growth all exceeding expectations. Following the announcement, Microsoft's after-hours share price jumped more than 4% at one point; as of press time, it remained up 2.47% at $400.20.

Three regional Fed presidents supporting a rate hike at the policy meeting, along with President Trump’s statement that the U.S. military would respond forcefully to Iran, dampened market sentiment. The three major U.S. indices saw losses widen following the meeting, with memory and chip stocks leading the declines while software stocks showed resilience. At the close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 2.19% to 51,594.14 points; the Nasdaq Composite Index dropped 1.74% to 24,442.94 points; and the S&P 500 Index fell 1.52% to 7,316.15 points.

On July 29, Eastern Time, the Federal Reserve announced the results of its July interest rate decision. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) voted 9-3 to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 3.5%–3.75%, in line with mainstream market expectations. Notably, this meeting saw a rare three dissenting votes against maintaining the current interest rate, marking the first time since 2016 that the Fed has recorded three dissents in the same direction within a single policy decision.