Tech Takes the Lead: Meta and Microsoft Surge as Markets Brace for Fed Fallout

​Thursday’s market mood is set, and it’s painted in shades of AI, earnings, and Powell-fueled uncertainty. With Meta and Microsoft lighting up after-hours trading and investors digesting the Fed’s latest move, Thursday’s trading session is shaping up to be electric.

💻 Meta & Microsoft: The AI Hype is Real
Meta soared 12% and Microsoft jumped 10% post-earnings, and for good reason. Meta’s spending plans for 2026 include a jaw-dropping 48% increase in capital expenditures, way above the expected 11%. Translation? Meta is betting big—very big—on AI.

Tech analyst Gene Munster summed it up on CNBC’s Fast Money:

“We’re going to look back and realize we didn’t understand how early in AI we are.”

Even Jim Cramer is back on the AI bandwagon, declaring:

“We’re back to loving tech and just tech.”

📦 Big Earnings on Deck: Apple & Amazon in the Spotlight
Apple reports Thursday afternoon. The stock has slid 1.6% over the last 3 months, now 20% below its December 2024 high.

Amazon, by contrast, has gained 25% in the same time, though it’s still 5% below February highs.

💳 Mastercard Headlines Morning Reports
Before Wall Street opens, Mastercard drops its earnings. Investors will be watching closely after a 2% gain in 3 months, though the stock is still 6% off its June 11 peak.

Visa is up 1.6%

American Express has surged 14% in three months

💰 Fed Holds Rates—But Tension Builds
The Fed kept its rate steady at 4.25%–4.50%, but here’s the plot twist: two governors dissented. That hasn’t happened since 1993. Markets see no clear signal of a rate cut at the Sept 16–17 meeting.

Yields as of this morning:
-10-year Treasury: 4.37%
-2-year: 3.94%
-6-month T-bill: 4.28%
-High-yield bond ETFs are flashing juicy returns (JNK: 6.56%, SHYG: 7.08%)

🪙 Coinbase Climbs, Copper Cracks
Coinbase is up 86% in 3 months, with Q2 results due Thursday afternoon.

Copper? Not so lucky. Prices plunged 18% Wednesday after Trump’s 50% tariff—but only on some copper imports. Markets overestimated the scope, and traders paid the price.

🩺 Bonus Beat: Alignment Healthcare Surges
Alignment Healthcare shocked analysts with a surprise profit.

The stock jumped 20% after hours, and CNBC will spotlight it on “Worldwide Exchange” at 5 a.m.

🧠 Final Word: Big Tech Is Back—But the Fed Still Looms
Tech stocks are roaring, but this isn’t just an AI rally—it’s a high-stakes moment where investor optimism is colliding with central bank caution. Traders will be watching earnings and inflation cues like hawks.

If Meta and Microsoft are right about AI’s potential, we may be witnessing the start of a new bull run.

​Stay caffeinated. Thursday’s going to be wild.