The Week Ahead: Earnings From Apple, Facebook, Berkshire Hathaway, and More

The heavy rollout of earnings continues this week. We are watching for earnings releases from tech giants Apple AAPL and Facebook FB. Our analysts are not forecasting a rebound in iPhone unit sales this year, based on Apple’s product showcase in September where the iPhone 11 demonstrated marginal product improvements. Analysts also suspect many users will opt to wait for a 5G-compatible iPhone in 2020, and this is particularly true in Chinese markets.

Facebook continues to face criticism and scrutiny from consumers and politicians; CEO Mark Zuckerberg stood in front of Congress for questioning last week. However, Facebook demonstrated strong second-quarter performance, powered by its user growth, steady engagement, and higher user monetization.

Leaders in oil including Exxon Mobil XOM, Royal Dutch Shell RYDBF, and Chevron CVX are due for earnings reports this week as well. In financial services, we are watching HSBC HSBC, Visa VISA, and Mastercard MA. Other notable names include Pfizer PFE, Berkshire Hathaway BRK.B, Starbucks SBUX, and Alibaba BABA.

The Fed is scheduled to meet Wednesday; speculation about another interest-rate cut is brewing. A bundle of economic data is due, including consumer confidence on Tuesday and unemployment rate on Friday.