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Forex Signals March 3: CrowdStrike CRWD, Ross Stores, AutoZone and Target Earnings Preview
Investors are closely watching CrowdStrike CRWD, Ross Stores, AutoZone and Target report quarterly earnings.
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Last updated: Monday, March 2, 2026
Quick overview
- Investors are monitoring upcoming quarterly earnings reports from CrowdStrike, Ross Stores, AutoZone, and Target for insights into consumer behavior.
- U.S. equities rebounded after initial losses due to geopolitical tensions, supported by positive economic data indicating continued manufacturing expansion.
- Crude oil prices surged amid concerns over supply disruptions, while gold experienced volatility with significant price fluctuations during the trading session.
- Central banks remain cautious, emphasizing data dependency as rising oil prices and geopolitical risks could complicate the inflation outlook.
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MARKETS TREND
Investors are closely watching CrowdStrike CRWD, Ross Stores, AutoZone and Target report quarterly earnings.
Stocks Rebound as Geopolitical Fears Meet Resilient Data
U.S. equities staged an impressive late-session recovery yesterday, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ Composite erasing early losses triggered by escalating war headlines. Investors initially reacted to reports of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz—a vital global energy chokepoint—amid ongoing U.S. combat operations in Iran. Rising tensions briefly sparked a risk-off move across markets.
Despite the early selloff, dip buyers emerged as the session progressed, signaling continued confidence in the broader economic backdrop.
Oil, Dollar and Defense Stocks in Focus
Crude oil prices surged on concerns about shipping disruptions and potential supply constraints, lifting energy shares and defense-related industrial stocks. Safe-haven flows also supported the U.S. dollar, which strengthened against major currencies, with the Swiss franc among the weakest performers after cautionary remarks from the Swiss National Bank.
Gold spiked sharply—rising as much as $140 at session highs—before paring gains to finish up roughly $50, suggesting initial panic buying gave way to profit-taking as equity markets stabilized.
Economic Data Supports Recovery
Fresh economic data helped calm markets. The ISM Manufacturing PMI came in at 52.4, above expectations, signaling continued expansion in U.S. manufacturing. The S&P Global PMI printed at 51.7, slightly below forecasts but still in growth territory. However, a jump in ISM Prices Paid to 70.5 raised concerns about renewed inflation pressure.
Central Banks Stay Data-Dependent
Amid rising oil prices and geopolitical risks, central bank officials reiterated a cautious stance. Policymakers emphasized data dependency, acknowledging that sustained energy-driven price pressures could complicate the inflation outlook even as economic growth remains steady.
Key Market Events to Watch This Week
Today’s earnings from CrowdStrike, Ross Stores, AutoZone and Target provide valuable insight into consumer behavior across discretionary retail and automotive maintenance spending. With both companies carrying similar market capitalizations near $65 billion, their reports could influence broader retail sector sentiment. Investors will look beyond headline numbers and focus heavily on forward guidance, margin trends, and demand outlook to determine the next directional move in each stock.
🔹 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
🛍️ Ross Stores, Inc. (ROST)
- Event: Q4 2025 Earnings Announcement
- Timing: After Market Close (AMC)
- Expected EPS: $1.66
- Market Capitalization: $65.79 billion
- Recent Price Move: −30.32 (recent decline noted)
Key Focus Areas:
- Comparable store sales performance during the holiday quarter
- Inventory management and gross margin trends
- Consumer spending resilience amid macroeconomic pressures
- 2026 forward guidance and expansion plans
Ross Stores operates in the off-price retail segment, which tends to perform relatively well during cautious consumer cycles. Investors will be watching closely to see whether traffic trends remain stable and if margins show signs of recovery after recent cost pressures.
🚗 AutoZone, Inc. (AZO)
- Event: Q2 2026 Earnings Announcement
- Timing: Before Market Open (BMO)
- Expected EPS: $27.29
- Market Capitalization: $64.58 billion
- Recent Price Move: +12.59 (recent gain noted)
Key Focus Areas:
- Same-store sales growth and commercial segment strength
- Demand trends tied to aging vehicle fleets
- Margin stability amid supply chain normalization
- Share repurchase activity and capital allocation strategy
AutoZone has historically demonstrated pricing power and defensive characteristics, particularly during periods when consumers delay new vehicle purchases and instead maintain existing cars.
🔹 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
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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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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