US and European futures are trading flat as traders are trying to overcome the current pessimism in the stock market that has sent stock prices tumbling during April. The Nasdaq 100 index is sitting near the year’s lows, and it is down nearly 22% from its all-time high; there is no doubt that it is the worst-performing index among the S&P 500 and the Dow Jones.

Over in Europe and the UK, what matters the most for traders is the gas supply situation from Russia. Remember, the country has demanded payment in Ruble. Certain countries and companies are finding the grey area to fulfil Russia’s demand which isn’t sitting right with the lawmakers here who imposed sanctions on Russia.

Stock Market Today 

Today is another one of those days where traders will pay more attention to earnings than any other economic headwinds. At 12:30 GMT, we have the US Jobless Claims, and it is likely to influence the dollar index, which is already sitting at extreme levels. However, the reading isn’t the focal point for traders and investors.

What matters the most is earnings from Apple, Amazon, and Twitter. In terms of Twitter, traders know that this company will no longer remain public as Elon Musk, who has bought the company, wants to upset the far-right and far-left lawmakers equally.

This means that Twitter will be a public platform with content that may not sit right with many, which remains the biggest threat to its business model. But right now, all investors know is that Elon is the man who has a strong track record in bringing companies out of their misery and making them successful, and this is what traders are betting on.

As for Apple and Amazon, there are two similar fundamentals. Firstly, how are these companies digesting inflation, and how are rising inventory prices influencing their profit margins. Secondly, if these companies are positioned well to face a higher interest rate environment, in addition to this, how are the supply chain issues influencing them, given the fact that China is determined to keep the zero-tolerance covid policy in place.

Meta’s Earnings 

Meta, which dragged the markets lower during the last quarter, reported pretty decent quarterly earnings numbers last night, which sent the stock soaring in the after-market hours. We are also expecting the stock to perform well today. Remember, stocks like Meta, Netflix, Microsoft, or Alphabet are classified as mega stocks, and their earnings report are powerful to lift or tank sentiment in the equity markets.

Facebook’s earnings per share came in at $2.72 against the expectations of $2.56. The revenue for the quarter was $27.91 billion versus $28.2 billion expectations. The daily active users number improved, and the company reported it at 1.96 billion against 1.95 billion expectations. Another essential metric’s average revenue per user increased to $9.54 versus the $9.50 forecast.  

Revenue increased by 7% in the third quarter. The single-digit growth number reported by the company was the first time in its 10-year history since it went public. Analysts predicted 7.8 per cent growth.

In the third quarter, Facebook’s family of applications, including the core app, Instagram, and WhatsApp, accounted for 97.5 per cent of revenue. The remaining $695 million came from Reality Labs, the firm’s division tasked with developing items for the metaverse.

What was even more positive for investors was that Facebook reduced its overall cost outlook for 2022 to between $87 billion and $92 billion, from $90 billion to $95 billion before. It anticipates its family of applications category to contribute the majority of that spending rise, followed by Reality Labs.

Gold 

Gold prices continue to trade lower, and currently, the price is trading near its two-month low as the dollar index continues to take the shine away from the precious metal.

When it comes to the gold price, the most exciting thing is that the escalating geopolitical tensions are not supporting the price. For instance, Russia cutting gas for countries like Poland is a clear signal that Putin is ready to take on the West. In addition to this, several cautious statements have been issued about the use of nuclear weapons, which is a very serious matter, but in terms of the gold, we do not see any strength.