Amazon, Facebook, and Alphabet earnings, jobs report: What to know this week

The wild ride in markets is likely to power on this week, with investors in store for a slew of big earnings and fresh reads on key unemployment data out of Washington, including the ever-important monthly jobs report.

Monday kicks off a pivotal week in the earnings season, with more than 100 companies in the S&P 500 set to report fourth quarter results through Friday. Most notably, investors will tune in to presentations from Amazon (AMZN), Facebook now Meta Platforms (FB), and Alphabet (GOOGGOOGL), three of the five corporate heavyweights that account for about one-quarter of the benchmark’s total market capitalization.

Amazon is scheduled to report figures for the last three months of 2021 after the bell on Thursday. Analysts expect adjusted earnings per share of $3.89 on revenue of $137.87 billion. With the stock down 15.5% year-to-date as of Friday’s close, a look at fourth quarter performance could be a make-or-break moment for the e-commerce giant as markets reassess tech valuations.

Facebook, known now by its rebrand to Meta Platforms, has also been under pressure in recent weeks amid the broader sell-off in technology stocks. Investors are likely to get more details about the company’s progress on its Oculus virtual reality headset when it reports on Tuesday, which stock watchers expect could give the social media platform a needed boost. Facebook is projected to report earnings of $3.83 per share, on revenue of $33.44 billion, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates.

Results from Alphabet, due out Tuesday, are expected to show adjusted earnings per share of $27.45 on revenue of $59.38 billion. Also bearing the brunt of the tech rout, shares of Alphabet are down 8% year-to-date. Stock watchers will tune in for a gauge on the momentum of its cloud platform, a component that has contributed greatly to the company’s growth and could help the stock see a rebound.

On the economic front, employment data will be in the spotlight this week. The Department of Labor’s monthly jobs report due for release on Friday will offer an updated look at the strength of hiring and labor force participation — important measures of the U.S. economy, made even more consequential in recent weeks as the impact of the latest Omicron-driven wave begins to appear in the latest surveys. Economists expect private employers added 150,000 jobs in January, lower than the previous month. The unemployment rate is expected to remain unchanged from December at 3.9%, according to Bloomberg consensus estimates.