XAU/USD – Daily Chart
Forex Signals March 2: Broadcom AVGO, CrowdStrike CRWD, Costco, Alibaba Earnings Preview
At a crucial point as markets navigate volatility and geopolitical unpredictability, Target, Alibaba, Costco, Quantum Computing Inc., Broadc
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Last updated: Monday, March 2, 2026
Quick overview
- Earnings reports from major companies like Broadcom and Costco are crucial for market sentiment amid rising geopolitical tensions and inflation concerns.
- The market has shifted from focusing on inflation and credit stress to grappling with geopolitical risks following recent military actions in the Middle East.
- Investors are adopting a defensive posture as risk appetite declines, with major US indices closing lower and volatility expected to persist.
- This week's earnings could either stabilize the market or exacerbate downside momentum, particularly in sectors sensitive to consumer spending and technology.
At a crucial point as markets navigate volatility and geopolitical unpredictability, Target, Alibaba, Costco, Quantum Computing Inc., Broadcom, CrowdStrike, and Core Scientific all disclose their earnings.
Markets Turn Cautious as Risk Appetite Fades
Last week’s trading environment gradually shifted from early stability into a broader risk-off tone. What initially appeared to be a routine, data-driven market evolved into a wider reassessment of risk across several critical fronts.
Investors moved from selective positioning to defensive posture as concerns mounted over:
- Persistent inflation pressures
- Emerging credit market stress
- Rising geopolitical uncertainty
The shift was not abrupt — it developed steadily as the week progressed, with sentiment deteriorating session by session.
Inflation and Credit Stress Weigh on Sentiment
Stronger-than-expected inflation data reinforced fears that price pressures remain sticky, complicating expectations for monetary policy easing. Markets that had previously priced in a smoother disinflation path were forced to recalibrate.
At the same time, subtle signs of strain began surfacing beneath the surface of financial markets. Credit spreads showed early signs of widening, and risk assets struggled to sustain upward momentum. Sellers gradually took control, limiting rallies and pressuring high-multiple growth stocks in particular.
By Friday’s close, major US indices had finished lower, capping off a difficult February for growth-oriented sectors. The inability to reclaim key technical levels reflected weakening conviction among buyers.
Weekend Escalation Shifts Focus to Geopolitics
Over the weekend, the macro narrative shifted dramatically. The United States and Israel launched a broad wave of strikes inside Iran, escalating tensions across the Middle East.
Futures markets reacted quickly. NASDAQ and Dow futures slipped lower as investors repriced geopolitical risk. What might once have been treated as a short-lived headline shock is now being viewed as a sustained event with potential multi-day or even multi-week implications.
The situation appears to be evolving rapidly. According to Reuters, Iranian state media confirmed the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei following US and Israeli strikes. In parallel, President Donald J. Trump posted on Truth Social declaring Khamenei dead and stated that “heavy and pinpoint bombing” would continue throughout the week “as long as necessary.”
From Data Risk to Event Risk
The market narrative has now transitioned from inflation and credit concerns to full geopolitical risk repricing. Investors are no longer dealing solely with macroeconomic uncertainty but with the potential for broader regional instability.
Oil prices, safe-haven assets, and equity index futures are already reflecting that shift. Markets are treating this development not as a one-night shock but as a week-defining catalyst.
With inflation persistence, credit fragility, and escalating geopolitical tensions converging simultaneously, risk appetite has clearly deteriorated. The coming sessions will determine whether this evolves into a deeper correction or stabilizes through diplomacy and containment.
Key Market Events to Watch This Week
This earnings week carries outsized importance. With markets already fragile, strong results from heavyweights like Broadcom and Costco could stabilize sentiment, while disappointments — especially in AI or consumer names — may accelerate downside momentum.
Below is a breakdown of key companies reporting, including timing (BMO = Before Market Open, AMC = After Market Close), expectations, and why each report matters.
🔹 Core Scientific, Inc. (CORZ)
- Q4 2025 Earnings – AMC
- EPS Estimate: -0.12
- Sector: Bitcoin mining / digital infrastructure
Focus Areas:
- Mining profitability amid Bitcoin price volatility
- Energy costs and operational efficiency
- Balance sheet strength post-restructuring
- High sensitivity to crypto price swings and risk sentiment
🔹 Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT)
- Q4 2025 Earnings – AMC
- EPS Estimate: -0.04
- Sector: Emerging quantum technology
Key Watchpoints:
- Revenue traction and commercialization progress
- Government or defense contracts
- Cash burn and funding runway
- High volatility, speculative growth profile
🔹 Broadcom Inc. (AVGO)
- Q1 2026 Earnings – AMC
- EPS Estimate: 2.02
- Market Cap: ~$1.52T
Critical Themes:
- AI semiconductor demand
- Data center and networking strength
- VMware integration progress
- Major AI infrastructure bellwether; strong read-through to semiconductor sector
🔹 CrowdStrike Holdings, Inc. (CRWD)
- Q4 2026 Earnings – AMC
- EPS Estimate: 1.10
- Market Cap: ~$93.78B
Key Drivers:
- Cybersecurity spending trends
- Enterprise customer growth
- Margin expansion and subscription revenue strength
- Important signal for SaaS and enterprise IT budgets
🔹 Costco Wholesale Corporation (COST)
- Q2 2026 Earnings – AMC
- EPS Estimate: 4.54
- Market Cap: ~$448.92B
Watch For:
- Consumer resilience
- Membership growth
- Pricing power amid inflation
- Defensive retail play; strong read on consumer health
🔹 Alibaba Group Holding Limited (BABA)
- Q3 2026 Earnings – BMO
- EPS Estimate: 10.94
- Market Cap: ~$344.04B
Focus Areas:
- China consumption trends
- Cloud business growth
- Regulatory environment
- Sensitive to China macro conditions and global risk appetite
🔹 Target Corporation (TGT)
- Q4 2025 Earnings – BMO
- EPS Estimate: 2.25
- Market Cap: ~$51.71B
Key Themes:
- Inventory management
- Consumer discretionary demand
- Margin recovery efforts
- Provides insight into middle-income consumer spending trends
Why This Week Matters
Mix of AI infrastructure (AVGO), cybersecurity (CRWD), retail (COST, TGT), China tech (BABA), and speculative tech (QUBT, CORZ)
- Offers broad cross-sector insight into:
- Consumer strength
- Enterprise tech spending
- AI momentum
- Crypto-linked volatility
- Comes amid heightened macro and geopolitical uncertainty
Investors should prepare for elevated volatility, sector rotation, and sharp post-earnings moves across both mega-cap and high-beta names.
Gold Extends the March
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, printing a fresh record high at $5,598 before retreating below $5,000. But buyers returned and XAU climbed above $5,000 again.
USD/JPY Rebounds
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 8 cents but found support at $152 at the 100 daily SMA (red) and rebounded above 156 but have reversed down again this week after the Japanese elections.
USD/JPY – Daily Chart
Cryptocurrency Update
Bitcoin Returns to $70K
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 BTC returned lower and fell below $80K, breaking below the but the 100 weekly SMA (green) but the decline stopped at the $60K support where the 200 weekly SMA (purple) stands and rebounded to $70K.
BTC/USD – Weekly Chart
Ethereum Slips Below $2,000
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 $2,000 but buyers returned n d pushed the price above $2K again.
ETH/USD – Weekly Chart
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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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.
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