XAU/USD – Daily Chart
btc-usd
Forex Signals Jan 29: Apple AAPL, Visa V, Mastercard, Caterpillar, and SAP Earnings
Due to the anticipated reports from Apple, Visa, Mastercard, Caterpillar, and SAP, the focus of today's earnings session will primarily...
•
Last updated: Thursday, January 29, 2026
Quick overview
- Today's earnings reports from major companies like Apple, Visa, and Mastercard will focus on consumer demand and spending trends.
- The Federal Reserve's decision to hold rates had little impact on markets, with expectations for potential easing in June.
- Gold prices surged, driven by strong demand and reports of significant gold reserves being built by Tether.
- Earnings from Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla showed mixed results, influencing individual stock movements after market close.
Live BTC/USD Chart
BTC/USD
MARKETS TREND
Due to the anticipated reports from Apple, Visa, Mastercard, Caterpillar, and SAP, the focus of today’s earnings session will primarily be on consumer demand, payments activity, industrial strength, and business software investment.
Fed Decision: Familiar Message, Muted Reaction
Markets appear increasingly desensitized to Chair Powell as his term nears its May conclusion. The Federal Reserve’s decision to hold rates came exactly as expected, and the policy statement failed to introduce any meaningful surprises. While Powell struck an optimistic tone on the economy during the press conference, it had little impact on markets or Fed funds futures. June remains the earliest window for easing, with pricing still implying around 19 basis points of cuts.
Bank of Canada: Steady and Predictable
The Bank of Canada meeting delivered even less drama. Updated forecasts showed minimal change, and Governor Macklem emphasized a data-dependent approach before any further rate moves. Currency markets reflected the lack of surprise, with USD/CAD ending the session largely unchanged.
ECB: Higher-for-Longer Reinforced
Adding to the global policy chorus, ECB’s Schnabel reiterated that the central bank is likely to keep rates on hold for an extended period, reinforcing expectations that major central banks remain in no rush to ease.
Dollar Moves on Bessent Comments
The most notable market reaction came from comments by Bessent, who revived the “strong dollar” narrative. This contrasted with remarks from President Trump a day earlier that appeared to favor a weaker dollar. The shift sparked a quick rally in USD/JPY, lifting it from 152.80 to 153.75 before trading settled into a sideways range.
Gold Leads Precious Metals Higher
Precious metals moved higher once again, led by gold which got close to $5,600. Momentum was supported by reports suggesting that Tether has been building substantial gold reserves, potentially rivaling holdings of several global central banks.
Earnings After the Bell: Diverging Reactions
After the market close, earnings from Meta, Microsoft, and Tesla drove sharp individual stock moves. Microsoft shares fell, while Meta and Tesla rallied following stronger-than-expected results.
Key Market Events to Watch Today: Earnings Reports Today
With major names reporting across technology, payments, industrials, and enterprise software, today’s earnings slate has the potential to shape broader market sentiment. Strong results could reinforce confidence in consumer resilience and corporate spending, while disappointments may quickly ripple through sector leadership and index performance.
Earnings Reports on the Schedule
Apple Inc. (AAPL)
- Event: Q1 FY2026 earnings announcement
- Timing: After Market Close (AMC)
Market Focus:
- iPhone demand trends and regional performance
- Services revenue growth and margins
- Commentary on AI integration and hardware upgrade cycles
- Street Expectation: EPS around 2.67
Visa Inc. (V)
- Event: Q1 FY2026 earnings announcement
- Timing: After Market Close (AMC)
Market Focus:
- Consumer spending and cross-border payment volumes
- Take-rate stability and transaction growth
- Guidance tied to global travel and discretionary demand
- Street Expectation: EPS around 3.14
Mastercard Incorporated (MA)
- Event: Q4 FY2025 earnings announcement
- Timing: Before Market Open (BMO)
Market Focus:
- Payment volume growth and cross-border trends
- Operating leverage and margin discipline
- Outlook for consumer and corporate spending into 2026
- Street Expectation: EPS around 4.24
Caterpillar Inc. (CAT)
- Event: Q4 FY2025 earnings announcement
- Timing: Before Market Open (BMO)
Market Focus:
- Construction and mining equipment demand
- Order backlog trends and pricing power
- Exposure to infrastructure spending and global growth
- Street Expectation: EPS around 4.71
SAP SE (SAP)
- Event: Q4 FY2025 earnings announcement
- Timing: Before Market Open (BMO)
Market Focus:
- Cloud revenue growth and backlog momentum
- Enterprise IT spending appetite
- Progress on margin expansion and AI-driven offerings
- Street Expectation: EPS around 1.72
Why Today Matters
- Tech and consumer demand will be tested through Apple’s results.
- Visa and Mastercard provide real-time insight into global spending behavior.
- Caterpillar acts as a bellwether for industrial and infrastructure cycles.
- SAP offers a read on enterprise confidence and cloud investment trends.
Gold Breaks Above $5,000
Although demand for safe haven assets is still high, gold fell precipitously from record highs following the Fed’s most recent rate cut comments, as profit-taking was prompted by Powell’s cautious tone. In December, gold jumped above $4.3800 following the Federal Reserve’s announcement of a 25 basis point rate decrease. But the impetus soon waned, and prices dropped back to $4,004. The 20 daily SMA (gray) held as support last week and buyers returned and pushed XAU above the $5,000 mark for the first time during Asian hours and extended the rally in New York, printing a fresh record high near $5,111 before retreating below $5,000 late in the session. But buyers returned into Asian session and XAU climbed to $5,598.
USD/JPY Nears Slips Below 154
Foreign exchange markets saw sharp swings. Early in the week, U.S. yield differentials and Japanese capital outflows pushed the dollar above ¥150, but disappointing U.S. jobs data triggered profit-taking, causing the USD/JPY to slide by four yen from its peak. However, the new BOJ governor the JPY has weakened and USD/JPY soared to 154 and we decided to close our buy signal for more than 80 pips as the pair found support at the 20 daily SMA (gray) and has rebounded more than 200 pips off that MA but reversed after the 25 bps rate cut from the FED. The price approached $160 but reversed after the BOJ meeting and fell below $154 but found support at the 100 daily SMA (green).
USD/JPY – Daily Chart
Cryptocurrency Update
Bitcoin Finds Support at the 100 SMA Again
Cryptocurrencies remained highly active over the summer. Bitcoin (BTC) climbed to fresh highs of $123,000 and $124,000 in July and August, supported by institutional inflows and technical strength. However, remarks from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent ruling out U.S. increases to BTC reserves triggered a steep pullback, sending the coin down to $80K before finding support at the 100 weekly SMA (green). A rebound followed, sending BTC near $100 is the first major text for Bitcoin buyers. However yesterday BTC returned below $90K but the 100 weekly SMA (green) continued to hold as support.
BTC/USD – Weekly Chart
Ethereum Returns Below $3,000
Ethereum (ETH) has been similarly strong, surging toward $4,800, its highest since 2021 and near its all-time peak of $4,860. Despite a dip last week, ETH found support at the 20-day SMA, with retail enthusiasm and renewed institutional participation driving fresh upside momentum. Last week we saw a dive below $2.700 but the 200 weekly SMA held as support and we’re seeing a rebound but buyers face the 100 SMA (green) now.
ETH/USD – Weekly Chart
- Check out our free forex signals
- Follow the top economic events on FX Leaders economic calendar
- Trade better, discover more Forex Trading Strategies
- Open a FREE Trading Account
- Read our latest reviews on: Avatrade, Exness, HFM and XM
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
See More
Skerdian Meta
Lead Analyst
Skerdian Meta Lead Analyst.
Skerdian is a professional Forex trader and a market analyst. He has been actively engaged in market analysis for the past 11 years. Before becoming our head analyst, Skerdian served as a trader and market analyst in Saxo Bank's local branch, Aksioner. Skerdian specialized in experimenting with developing models and hands-on trading. Skerdian has a masters degree in finance and investment.
Save