Archives April 2025

Microsoft (MSFT) is slated to report fiscal third-quarter results after the market closes Wednesday, with analysts overwhelmingly bullish on the tech giant’s stock.

All of the 20 analysts tracked by Visible Alpha have issued “buy” or equivalent ratings for the stock, which has lost 7% so far in 2025. Their consensus price target slightly above $492 would suggest over 25% upside from Friday’s closing price of $391.85.

Wedbush analysts recently lowered their price target to $475 from $550 amid worries about President Trump’s tariffs, but said they “remain long term bullish” on Microsoft, pointing to its AI potential. “It has become crystal clear to us that the monetization opportunities around deploying AI in the cloud is a transformational opportunity across the industry with Redmond remaining in the driver’s seat,” they said.

Goldman Sachs analysts, who similarly maintained a “buy” rating for Microsoft but lowered their price target to $450 from $500, said the current economic environment has created a “wide range of different outcomes,” but that they believe Microsoft could be “well positioned to capitalize” on AI opportunities.

Morningstar analysts said Microsoft could also be in a stronger position than many other tech companies, because it “has minimal risk exposure to retail, advertising spending, cyclical hardware, or physical supply chains.”

Analysts polled by Visible Alpha on average expect Microsoft to report third-quarter revenue of $68.44 billion, up more than 10% year-over-year, and net income of $23.94 billion, or $3.21 per share, compared to $21.94 billion, or $2.94 per share, a year earlier. Revenue from Microsoft’s Intelligent Cloud segment, which includes its Azure cloud computing platform, is expected to jump 18% to $26.13 billion.

President Donald Trump’s tariffs have become a financial reality at the nation’s borders. 

As of April 24, the government collected $15.9 billion in “customs and excise taxes,” according to the Treasury Department. As the chart below shows, that’s a steep uptick from $9.6 billion in March.

The tax collection data shows that April was the month Trump’s campaign of tariffs started to make a real financial impact. Trump’s April 2 “Liberation Day” tariffs against all U.S. trading partners ranged from 10% for many countries to 145% for Chinese products. That came on top of previous tariffs, including a 25% duty on foreign cars that went into effect that month.

Trump’s stated goals for his import taxes include raising revenue to fund the government, restoring U.S. manufacturing by protecting it from foreign competition, and pressuring foreign governments to make trade deals favorable to the U.S. Economists have warned the tariffs are likely to drive up the cost of living, and risk plunging the economy into a recession.

Major corporate earnings, April jobs data and the latest inflation report are on tap for investors this week. President Donald Trump will reach his 100th day in office on Wednesday as trade policy developments continue to create volatile stock market movements. 

Apple (AAPL), Amazon (AMZN), Microsoft (MSFT), Meta Platforms (META), ExxonMobil (XOM), Coca-Cola (KO) and McDonald’s (MCD) are among the companies scheduled to release quarterly results on a busy corporate reporting calendar this week. 

The April jobs report and the latest reading of the Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation report come as President Donald Trump has increased his calls for the central bank to cut interest rates. Market watchers will also get a look at first-quarter gross domestic product, the latest consumer confidence survey and updated U.S. trade balance data. 

Monday, April 28

• Welltower (WELL), Waste Management (WM), Cadence Design Systems (CDNS), Roper Technologies (ROP), Brown & Brown (BRO) and Nucor (NUE) are scheduled to report earnings.

Tuesday, April 29

• Advanced trade balance (March)
• Advanced retail inventories (March)
• Advanced wholesale inventories (March)
• S&P Case-Shiller home price index (February)
• Consumer confidence (April)
• Job openings (April)
• General Motors (GM), Visa (V), Coca-Cola, Astrazeneca (AZN), Novartis (NVS), HSBC Holdings (HSBC), Booking Holdings (BKNG), S&P Global (SPGI), Honeywell (HON), Pfizer (PFE), Spotify (SPOT), American Tower Corporation (AMT), Starbucks (SBUX), United Parcel Service (UPS) and PayPal (PYPL) are scheduled to report earnings.

Wednesday, April 30

• President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office
• ADP employment (April)
• Gross domestic product (GDP) (Q1)
• Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) (March)
• Employment cost index (Q1)
• Chicago Business Barometer (April)
• Pending home sales (March)
• Microsoft, Meta Platforms, UBS (UBS), Qualcomm (QCOM) and Caterpillar (CAT) are scheduled to report earnings.

Thursday, May 1

• Initial jobless claims (Week ending April 23)
• S&P Global manufacturing PMI (April)
• Construction spending (March)
• ISM manufacturing PMI (April)
• Apple, Amazon, Eli Lilly (LLY), Mastercard (MA), McDonald’s, Amgen (AMGN), Strategy (MSTR), CVS Health (CVS) and Airbnb (ABNB) are scheduled to report earnings.

Friday, May 2

• U.S. employment report (April)
• Factory orders (March)
• ExxonMobil, Chevron (CVX), Shell (SHEL) and Cigna (CI) are scheduled to report earnings.

Mag 7 Stalwarts Highlight Crowded Earnings Calendar

More than half of the Magnificent Seven companies report earnings this week, along with several noteworthy firms in the tech, energy, finance, and consumer sectors. Investors will also be watching for President Donald Trump’s 100th day in office on Wednesday, as stocks are off to the worst start in a century.

The world’s most valuable public company by market capitalization, Apple, is scheduled to report on Thursday as the iPhone maker comes under pressure from Trump’s tariff policies on China, where about 90% of the company’s products are made.  After falling on tariff announcements, Apple’s stock surged last week when it was included among a handful of tech companies whose products would be exempt from some tariffs. Investors will also hear on Thursday from Amazon, which was downgraded by analysts at Raymond James over its exposure to trade with China.

Tariffs aren’t expected to be a driving issue for Microsoft, which is scheduled to report on Wednesday. Microsoft is coming off a prior quarter where its Intelligent Cloud segment underperformed. Meta Platform’s scheduled report for the same day comes as the Instagram parent is embroiled in a Federal Trade Commission antitrust court case.

Coca-Cola’s earnings on Tuesday come as the soda maker’s global business is still exposed to trade barriers, though analysts at JPMorgan said the company is well-positioned to weather economic uncertainty from tariffs. McDonald’s’ scheduled report on Thursday will also provide insight into the health of the U.S. consumer, while General Motors’ scheduled report comes amid questions over how tariffs are affecting automakers.

Visa’s report on Tuesday comes as the credit card issuer is reportedly bidding to take over the role of Apple’s credit card payment network. Other financial firms scheduled to report this week include Mastercard, HSBC Holdings, UBS, and PayPal. 

Cryptocurrency investors will be following Thursday’s report from Strategy (MSTR), the company formerly known as MicroStrategy, coming after the bitcoin buyer reported wider-than-expected losses in the prior quarter. 

Several pharmaceutical firms are on the weekly reporting calendar, including AstraZeneca, Novartis, and Pfizer on Tuesday, followed by Eli Lilly and Amgen on Thursday.  Energy will be in focus on Friday with ExxonMobil, Chevron and Shell all scheduled to deliver earnings. Exxon has already warned that lower oil prices could result in a hit to its earnings. 

Other noteworthy earnings scheduled for this week include Starbucks and United Parcel Service on Tuesday, Caterpillar on Wednesday and Airbnb on Thursday. 

April Jobs Report, Inflation in Focus 

Trump’s 100th day in office, the April jobs report, and the latest inflation data are all on the calendar this week as investors look for the impact of tariff policy to begin to show in economic indicators.

Friday’s scheduled release of the employment report comes as the jobs market has remained resilient amid the uncertainty surrounding tariff policies. March’s report showed a surprising jump in job creation even though the unemployment rate moved slightly higher. Investors will also be watching the private sector payrolls report from ADP and job openings data scheduled for earlier in the week.

The Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) report for March comes after the Fed’s preferred inflation reading came in as expected in February, while inflation remained above the central bank’s target rate of 2%. 

The jobs and inflation data will be closely followed by the Federal Reserve ahead of its upcoming meeting on May 6-7, coming as Trump has increased pressure on Chair Jerome Powell over the central bank’s interest rate policy. Fed officials are in the commentary blackout period ahead of the meeting. 

On Wednesday, market watchers will get their first look at how the broad economy performed in the first quarter, with the scheduled release of U.S. gross domestic product data. The economy grew less-than-expected in last year’s final quarter. 

Consumer confidence data on Tuesday comes as economists watch how the public reacts to the uncertainty surrounding trade policy. Tuesday’s expected advanced trade balance report will shed more light on the early impact that tariffs are having on U.S. imports and exports. 

Investors will also be watching for fresh housing data, including the home price index for February and pending home sales for March. 

Shares of Phillips 66 (PSX), under pressure from activist Elliott Investment Management, fell Friday after the energy firm posted a wider-than-expected adjusted loss.

The company posted a first-quarter adjusted loss of $0.90 per share, worse than Visible Alpha estimates of $0.72 per share. Adjusted EBITDA of $736 million also came up short of analysts’ expectations.

“Our results reflect not only a challenging macro environment, but also the impact from one of our largest-ever spring turnaround programs, managed safely, on-time and under budget,” CEO Mark Lashier said.

“With the bulk of our turnarounds behind us, we are well positioned to capture stronger margins as the year unfolds,” Lashier added.

Phillips 66 shares, which had lost 8% of their value this year entering Friday, slipped about 2% soon after markets opened. 

Financial stress is a universal experience that crosses all income levels and demographics. Think you’re alone in worrying about cash flow, debt, funding retirement, or college planning? You’re not. According to the American Heart Association, 82% of U.S. adults reported feeling stressed about money.

So, how do we help clients when this stress hits? Here’s what I’m advising.

What I’m Telling My Clients

1. Make a Plan

Often, financial stress stems from an inability to visualize a path forward. If you’re feeling anxious about your finances, start by getting organized.

Create a net worth statement (or revisit one your advisor made for you) that tracks your assets and liabilities. Then take a look at your cash flow. How much are you spending monthly or annually versus what you bring in? With your specific concern in mind (college funding, paying for daycare, getting out of debt, retirement savings), look at the numbers in front of you to see what you have to work with.

2. Communicate

When it comes to working through financial stress, communication is a two-way street and a two-pronged approach: 

Get Professional help: If you’re struggling to find an answer or see a path out of the question you’re facing, reach out to your financial planner, CPA, or attorney to get the information you need. An unbiased perspective and opinion on the issue will likely bring peace of mind. 

Talk to your partner and/or family: If your financial situation is tied up with someone else, ensure you communicate on a monthly (if not weekly) basis about money goals, plans, and issues. Have an agreed-upon agenda and a set time on the calendar to ensure conversations stay on track.

3. Catch Your Negative Thoughts

When you find yourself in a worry spiral, try to catch the negative thoughts and reframe them. You may think, “I don’t have enough” or “I’m terrible with money.”  Notice those thoughts and then replace them with more constructive perspectives.

This cognitive restructuring helps break the cycle of financial anxiety and builds confidence in decision-making.

The Bottom Line

Financial anxiety is normal. Concrete planning, open communication, and mindset management create a comprehensive framework for addressing financial stress, allowing clients to move from paralysis to action.

The rising cost of living has made it increasingly difficult to save money, buy essentials, and even make it to the end of a pay period without running out of funds. Amid growing expenses, creating and maintaining a budget can be the difference between just getting by and saving toward life goals. For some, that means doing it loudly—part of a trend that emerged on TikTok in 2023 and spread to other social media platforms.

Scott Bishop, managing director and co-founder of Presidio Wealth Partners, says sharing your financial commitments with others can help boost your success. “I think being ‘loud’ or at least vocalizing your plan can help make it a reality,” he told Investopedia. “A good parallel is telling everyone you are trying to lose weight. It may help keep you accountable.”

“And you may find that you have others who will support you,” he added.

What Is Loud Budgeting?

“Loud budgeting,” a term coined in a TikTok video by Lucas Battle in December 2023, refers to being vocal and unapologetic about your financial goals. It involves declining invitations to spend money, such as going out to dinner with a friend, and then explaining why—that’s the “loud” part.

The phrase has since been celebrated as a way to take pride in saving money, which can add up over time. It’s also seen as a way to help people overcome the difficult task of sticking to a budget. When you’re vocal about the fact that you’re trying to save money, other people could help hold you accountable as you cut back on nonessential spending.

“If you…want to go on an expensive trip or buy an expensive car, then you will have to be able to find a way to still hit your loud goal when others see you going off track,” Bishop said.

How Budgeting Could Save You Thousands

According to the results of two 2019 surveys, Americans spend an average of $697 to $1,497 per month on nonessential items, including dinner at a restaurant, drinks out with friends or coworkers, and takeout or delivery. Cutting back on some of those nonessential expenses could save you thousands over the course of a year.

Budgeting requires financial discipline, but the ultimate goal is to have more money. Generally, this requires either earning extra income, reducing spending, or both. Ideally, you’d earn more, but that’s not always an option. In many cases, cutting discretionary expenses is the core strategy.

According to a 2024 survey by the Bank of America Institute, Gen Z spent nearly twice as much as they had in savings, suggesting that young people have struggled to save money and keep up with the high cost of living. By comparison, Gen X and Baby Boomers had more in savings than they spent. Gen Z also spent more on travel, retail, restaurants, and entertainment than the overall population. But to offset growing expenses, two-thirds of Gen Z reported making lifestyle changes like cutting back on dining out and skipping events with friends, according to the survey.

Beyond being vocal about your plans, effective budgeting strategies include tracking progress and celebrating milestones, adjusting for changes in your income or bills, and prioritizing having an emergency fund.

Need some motivation to get started? Research has found that those who don’t budget are less motivated and less confident about planning for their financial future. A 2025 survey by Discover found that a majority of Americans (64%) did not create a budget. But the 22% of Americans who created a budget and stuck to it reported feeling accomplished, secure, confident, and prepared for the unexpected.

The Bottom Line

A key way to gain financial confidence and security is to create and maintain a budget. And it can help to be “loud” about it. For many people, the power of loud budgeting lies in transforming what feels like a negative thing—declining invitations or saying “no” to fun things—into a positive affirmation of their financial priorities, which can save thousands of dollars over time.

Shares of T-Mobile US (TMUS) slumped 9% Friday, a day after the cellphone service provider added fewer wireless customers than expected, and warned that customers would have to pay more if new tariffs raised phone prices.

The company reported that it had 495,000 new postpaid phone customers in the first quarter, a drop of 37,000 from the year before. Analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for 499,000. In addition, the postpaid “churn rate,” a key metric for the industry, rose 5 basis points to 0.91%. 

Adding to the concerns for investors were comments by CEO Mike Sievert, who toldYahoo! Finance that T-Mobile is closely watching the situation with potential tariffs on cellphones, and said that if they happen and are significant, “that’s going to have to be borne by the customer. I mean, our model isn’t prepared for something like that.”

Q1 Results Top Estimates

The news offset the carrier’s better-than-expected financial results. T-Mobile posted earnings per share (EPS) of $2.58 on revenue that grew nearly 7% year-over-year to $20.89 billion, both above forecasts.

The company increased its full-year outlook for core adjusted EBITDA and raised the lower end of its guidance ranges for net cash provided by operating activities and adjusted free cash flow.

Despite today’s drop, shares of T-Mobile US are up about 7% so far in 2025.

Gilead Sciences (GILD) shares fell Friday, a day after the biopharmaceutical firm reported weak sales of its COVID-19 and cancer treatments, and cut its full-year profit guidance.

The company’s first-quarter revenue slipped 0.3% year-over-year to $6.67 billion, while analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha were looking for $6.81 billion. Earnings per share (EPS) of $1.81 was better than expected.

Sales of its Veklury COVID-19 drug sank 45% to $302 million on “lower rates of COVID-19 related hospitalizations across regions.” Sales of its breast cancer medicine, Trodelvy, declined 5% to $293 million on what the company called “inventory dynamics” and lower average price realization.

On the plus side, HIV product sales increased 6% to $4.6 billion, boosted by higher prices and demand. Its liver disease portfolio posted a 3% sales gain to $758 million.

The company reduced its 2025 EPS outlook to a range of $5.65 to $6.05, versus the previous $5.95 to $6.35.

Even with today’s 4% slide, shares of Gilead Sciences remain up about 11% so far this year.

Shares of Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL) climbed Friday as several analysts raised their price targets for the stock after the tech giant delivered better-than-expected quarterly results and touted the early success of AI features.

Alphabet’s Class A shares were up close to 3% near $164 in recent trading, propelling it into the ranks of the best-performing stocks on the S&P 500 Friday. (Read Investopedia’s live coverage of today’s market action here.)

Citi analysts raised their price target to $200 from $195, pointing to growing usage and monetization of AI features in Search, including AI Overviews, which Google said has reached 1.5 billion monthly users roughly a year after launch. “We believe Google’s GenAI search tools are gaining traction,” Citi said. 

Bank of America, which likewise raised its price target to $200, said Google also “has data and distribution advantages” against rivals like ChatGPT developer OpenAI in terms of driving AI usage growth.

Wedbush boosted its target to $200 as well, calling out Google’s growth potential “as investors gain more comfort related to the current macro environment, regulatory risk, and the impact of generative AI on Google Search.”

Meanwhile, Jefferies analysts reiterated a price target of $200, while JPMorgan maintained a target of $195.

CFO Anat Ashkenazi said during the company’s earnings call Thursday that Alphabet still plans to spend $75 billion in capital expenditures this year, most of which is expected to go toward building out the company’s AI infrastructure. The investments “should help us have a more resilient organization, irrespective of macroeconomic conditions,” Ashkenazi said.

Avantor (AVTR) shares sank 16% Friday after the maker of lab chemicals and other life sciences products announced its CEO was resigning, reported weaker-than-expected net sales as government spending fell, and slashed its guidance.

The company said the board and Michael Stubblefield agreed that this was the “right time to initiate a leadership transition.” It added that Stubblefield will be stepping down as soon as his replacement is named, and that the board has already initiated the search and “plans to move through the process expeditiously.” Stubblefield has led the firm since 2014.

Avantor Posts Weaker-Than-Expected Net Sales

Separately, Avantor reported first-quarter net sales slid 6% year-over-year to $1.58 billion, missing the Visible Alpha estimate of $1.61 billion. Adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.23 was in line with forecasts. 

Sales at its Laboratory Solutions division slumped 8% to $1.07 billion, which Stubblefield explained “was impacted by reduced demand—particularly in our Education and Government end market—following recent policy changes.” Bioscience Production unit sales were down 1% to $516.4 million.

Stubblefield said the company was updating its full-year outlook “to reflect ongoing funding and policy-related headwinds.” He added that Avantor was “implementing a comprehensive strategy to strengthen our Lab Solutions segment and are committed to moving with urgency to improve performance across the business.” In addition, the company is expanding its cost-cutting plan, which is now expected to save $400 million by the end of 2027.

Avantor sees 2025 organic revenue growth in the range of minus 1% to plus 1%, compared to the previous prediction of plus 1% to plus 3%. It anticipates adjusted EBITDA margin of 17.5% to 18.5%, compared to the earlier 18.0% to 19.0%.

Shares of Avantor plunged to their lowest level in five years.