US Stock Market Key News Summary July 30, 2026

Market Outlook Today

US GDP Preliminary Value

US PCE Index

US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims

Apple, Amazon Earnings

Fed's Key Decisions in One Article: 3 Dissenting Votes, Inflation Target Unchanged, Will Act When Necessary

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) announced on Wednesday (29th) after a two-day meeting that it would maintain the target range for the benchmark interest rate between 3.5% and 3.75%. Although the market widely expected the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) to hold steady, this meeting marked the first time since 2016 that three committee members cast dissenting votes. At the press conference following the rate decision, Fed Chair Kevin Warsh stated that the Fed would not hint at the future direction of monetary policy but would take necessary actions to achieve the 2% inflation target.

Micron Plunges Nearly 10% as SK Hynix Earnings 'Miss' Drags Down Sector

For companies, missing market expectations is never ideal, but memory chip giant SK Hynix (SKHY-YS) appears to have particularly 'chosen the wrong timing,' impacting Micron Technology (MU-US). The South Korean semiconductor giant reported earnings on Wednesday, surprising the market: second-quarter revenue, operating profit, and profit margin all fell short of Wall Street expectations. Despite this, all three metrics still set new single-quarter historical highs for the company.

<Earnings> Meta Plunges 10% After Hours as AI Investments Erode Cash Flow and Revenue Forecast Disappoints

Meta's (META-US) free cash flow is being eroded by massive investments in artificial intelligence (AI), and its weaker-than-expected revenue outlook for the current quarter has heightened investor concerns that the social media giant may struggle to quickly benefit from its AI investments. On Wednesday (29th), the company's stock plunged as much as 10% in after-hours trading. Meta forecasts current-quarter revenue between $61 billion and $64 billion, with a midpoint of $62.5 billion, below analyst expectations. The company noted that this forecast 'assumes foreign exchange factors will create approximately a 1% headwind to year-over-year revenue growth based on current exchange rates.'

<Earnings> Microsoft Q4 Results Beat Expectations, Azure Grows 43%, Full-Year Revenue Breaks $100 Billion for the First Time

Microsoft (MSFT-US) released its fiscal 2026 fourth-quarter results ended June 30. Driven by continued strong growth in its Azure cloud business, both revenue and earnings exceeded market expectations, with Azure's annual revenue surpassing $100 billion for the first time. After the earnings release, Microsoft's after-hours stock price rose about 3%. According to LSEG data, Microsoft's adjusted EPS for Q4 was $4.74, above the market estimate of $4.24; revenue reached $90.01 billion, also surpassing analysts' estimate of $87.62 billion, representing approximately 18% year-over-year growth.

<Earnings> Qualcomm's Conservative Forecast Weighs on Stock, Announces Full Chip Price Hike Starting September

Qualcomm (QCOM-US) reported its fiscal third-quarter results on Wednesday (29th). Earnings were largely in line with market expectations, but its profit outlook for the fourth quarter fell below market estimates. The company cited ongoing tight supply of computer components, particularly surging memory prices, as the main reason for the conservative forecast. Following the announcement, Qualcomm's after-hours stock price continued to decline. In an interview, CEO Cristiano Amon stated the company is taking concrete steps to enhance future profitability, including a full increase in chip selling prices starting September 1 and ongoing supply chain streamlining.