Forex Signals April 30: Apple, Eli Lilly, Mastercard, CAT, and Reddit Earnings Preview

The results agenda for Thursday is dominated by Apple, Eli Lilly, Mastercard, Caterpillar, and Reddit. In the fields of technology...

Written by: Skerdian Meta • Thursday, April 30, 2026 • 4 min read

• Last updated: Thursday, April 30, 2026

The results agenda for Thursday is dominated by Apple, Eli Lilly, Mastercard, Caterpillar, and Reddit. In the fields of technology, healthcare, payments, industry, and social media, these businesses set the bar.

US Equities End Flat Amid Mixed Signals

US markets closed with minimal movement, reflecting a lack of clear direction. The S&P 500 fell 0.04% while the Nasdaq edged up 0.04%. However, broader sentiment was weaker beneath the surface, with the Dow and Russell 2000 each declining around 0.60%, signalling pressure in cyclical and small-cap names.

Big Tech Earnings Beat Fails to Impress

Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft all beat expectations, but investor reactions were uneven. Microsoft and Meta declined despite strong results, as concerns over escalating AI-related spending overshadowed earnings strength. The divergence highlighted growing skepticism about whether heavy investment will translate into near-term profitability.

Energy Shock and Dollar Strength

Oil prices surged sharply, contributing to higher yields and a stronger US dollar. Prices jumped 8.57% as geopolitical tensions escalated, with signals from the Trump administration suggesting efforts to restrict Iranian oil flows via the Strait of Hormuz, potentially tightening global supply for months.

Fed Split Vote and Policy Uncertainty

The Federal Reserve held rates steady in an 8–4 vote, exposing internal divisions. While some members pushed for cuts, others resisted any easing bias, creating a hawkish undertone. Despite this, the broader committee still leans toward eventual rate cuts. Inflation remains sticky, with core PCE at 3.2% and headline at 3.5%, keeping policy outlook uncertain.

Earnings Calendar Highlights Thursday

Thursday’s earnings lineup spans multiple high-impact sectors, with Apple acting as the primary market driver. While healthcare and payments firms are expected to show stability, industrial and social media results will test broader economic resilience. Investor attention remains firmly on growth sustainability versus margin pressure across all major reports.

Apple (AAPL) – Tech Giant in Focus

Eli Lilly (LLY) – Pharma Momentum Test

Mastercard (MA) – Payments Stability Check

Caterpillar (CAT) – Industrial Demand Gauge

Reddit (RDDT) – Growth vs Profitability Debate

Last week, markets were quite volatile again, with gold soaring to $4,890 but retreating lower this week. EUR/USD slipped below above 1.17 while main indices closed the week higher at new records. The moves weren’t too big though, and we opened 34 trading signals in total, finishing the week with 23 winning signals and 9 losing ones.

Gold Rebounds Off the 200 SMA

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 $4,380 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 20o daily SMA (red) held as support this week and buyers returned and pushed XAU above the $4,800 and above the 100 SMA (green). Chart XAUUSD, D1, 2026.04.29 22:57 UTC, MetaQuotes Ltd., MetaTrader 5, Demo

XAU/USD – Daily Chart

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. Chart USDJPY, D1, 2026.03.09 22:33 UTC, MetaQuotes Ltd., MetaTrader 5, Demo

USD/JPY – Daily Chart

Cryptocurrency Update

Bitcoin Slips Lower

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 above $76K but returned to $70K again.

BTC/USD – Daily Chart

Ethereum Returns to $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.