Tech Giants and Fed Meet to Test U.S. Stock Rally's Resilience

Next week could prove pivotal for the ongoing U.S. stock rally as major technology companies prepare to report earnings and the Federal Reserve holds a crucial meeting. Expectations are high that this will mark the last meeting for Jerome Powell as Fed Chair.

After a dip over Middle East conflict fears, U.S. equity indexes have rebounded, with the S&P 500 rising about 13% since March 30, and tech-heavy Nasdaq jumping over 19% in the same time period. Expectations are riding high on solid earnings, with 81.3% of S&P 500 firms beating analyst expectations. Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, and Apple are among the major entities reporting soon.

While investors anticipate the Fed will hold interest rates steady, the meeting is expected to provide insights into how ongoing geopolitical issues could impact the U.S. economy. Market movements remain sensitive to developments in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran, an event likely to influence interest rate expectations and stock valuations.

(With inputs from agencies.)