What to Watch in the Day Ahead - Thursday, January 29

Apple is expected to report a 11.4% rise in its first quarterly revenue to a record $138.43 billion, driven by steady demand for the iPhone 17 series. Analysts and investors expect details on how the company plans to integrate Google's Gemini technology into its devices.

Blackstone, the world's largest alternative asset manager, will report its fourth-quarter results. Analysts will watch out for the management's commentary on the deal pipeline for 2026.

On the U.S. economic front, the Department of Labor is set to publish weekly initial jobless claims for the week ended January 24 and continuing claims for the week ended January 17. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits likely rose to 205,000 from 200,000, while continuing claims likely rose to 1.86 million from 1.849 million in the prior period. Meanwhile, data from the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis and the Census Bureau are expected to show that factory orders rebounded by 1.6% in November, following a 1.3% decline in October. The U.S. international trade deficit for November is also expected to widen to $40.5 billion from $29.4 billion in the previous month.

Construction machinery and mining equipment maker Caterpillar is set to report fourth-quarter results. Analysts on average expect the company to post year-over-year growth in quarterly revenue, while profit per share is seen declining, according to data compiled by LSEG.

Southwest Airlines is expected to report higher fourth-quarter profit on stronger revenue. The key question for analysts will be whether this momentum can carry into 2026, even as cost pressures and broader geopolitical uncertainty threaten margins while the carrier rolls out changes to its traditionally simple business model.

Comcast is expected to report a rise in revenue in the fourth quarter, driven by strong demand from its studio and theme park segments.

Mastercard is set to report fourth-quarter results, with its revenue and profit expected to rise on the back of sustained spending on its networks. Investors will look for commentary on the health of the US consumer and the outlook for the year ahead.

Honeywell and Lockheed Martin are among other prominent companies scheduled to report their quarterly earnings, offering key insights into corporate performance across the industrial and aerospace sectors.

Investment bank Lazard is set to report fourth-quarter results, with analysts and investors watching for executive comments on the outlook for dealmaking in 2026 after the firm capped a strong year.

Dow is expected to report a loss in the fourth quarter compared with a break-even in the same quarter last year, amid a prolonged industry downturn and weak demand for its products. Investors are also on the lookout for commentary on further potential cost cuts.

International Paper is expected to post a jump in fourth-quarter revenue, boosted by the completion of the acquisition of DS Smith and its measures to reduce costs. Investors will look for any comments on the impact from Trump's trade tariffs and cost-saving efforts.

Altria is expected to post a decline in its quarterly revenue as the company deals with consumers moving away from tobacco products due to health concerns. Investors will look for comments on regulatory clearances for their e-cigarette products, consumer sentiment and annual forecasts.

Deckers Outdoor is expected to post a rise in third-quarter revenue, helped by steady demand for its footwear and apparel. Investors will watch for comments on tariff impact, consumer demand and cost control efforts.

Exchange operator Nasdaq is expected to report higher fourth-quarter profit before the opening bell.

Medical device maker Resmed is set to report its second-quarter earnings. Investors will focus on tariff commentary and any changes to its annual forecast.

Property and casualty insurance Hartford Financial will report quarterly results. Wall Street will watch out for management's commentary on the P&C insurance pricing trends.

Ethos Technologies, backed by venture capital firms Accel and Sequoia, is set to debut on the Nasdaq after pricing its U.S. initial public offering, while digital bank PicPay, controlled by the billionaire Batista family, is preparing to list in New York in what would be the first Brazilian IPO in four years, and satellite company York Space Systems is also expected to make its debut on the New York Stock Exchange.

Canadian communication and media company Rogers Communications is scheduled to release its fourth-quarter earnings numbers before the market opens.

On the Latin American front, Brazil is scheduled to release its IGP-M inflation index, which is expected to show prices rising 0.41% in January, reversing a marginal 0.01% decline in the previous month.