A quarter into record layoffs, investors in U.S. tech giants will scrutinize if the cost cuts boosted profits to their satisfaction, while the companies emphasize how artificial intelligence will be their next growth driver.
Between Microsoft, Alphabet and Meta, analysts expect profits to rise 4.5 per cent, on average, from the immediately preceding quarter, led by an 11.8 per cent jump in Meta's bottom line, according to Refinitiv. From a year earlier, profit is expected to slump nearly 16 per cent, on average, with Microsoft expected to perform the least poorly with a 0.5 per cent slip.
According to research firm YipitData, Amazon's North America sales are set to beat Wall Street estimates in the first quarter. "If last quarter's message from Big Tech was all about efficiency and bottom line improvement, this quarter's message is likely to be more forward-looking around the massive potential of artificial intelligence," Andrew Lipsman, analyst at Insider Intelligence, said.
"There are expectations that companies could create or do even more with AI ... every tech investor is expecting those companies to be in the frontier."