Stock Market Today: Meta and Microsoft Earnings Lift Stocks, Jobs Report and Tariff Deadline Loom

Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) led the stock market higher Thursday with strong quarterly results. Meta reported earnings of $7.14 per share, up 38% YoY, and lifted its full-year capital expenditures forecast. Microsoft forecast higher-than-expected capital expenditures and said fiscal fourth-quarter revenue was up 18% YoY. Both stocks surged, with Meta's share price reaching $773 and Microsoft nearing a $4 trillion market cap.

Meta Platforms (META) and Microsoft (MSFT) drove the stock market higher Thursday with impressive second-quarter earnings reports. Meta reported earnings of $7.14 per share, up 38% year-over-year (YoY), and revenue of $47.5 billion, a 22% YoY increase. The company also lifted its full-year capital expenditures forecast to a range of $66 billion to $72 billion, up nearly 76% YoY [1].

Microsoft forecast higher-than-expected capital expenditures of more than $30 billion for its fiscal first quarter, and fiscal fourth-quarter revenue was up 18% YoY. The company's earnings per share grew 24%, driven by a 34% jump in revenue for its Azure AI cloud-computing platform and a 26% rise in total revenue for its Intelligence Cloud segment [1].

Both stocks surged on the news. Meta's share price reached an all-time high of $773, while Microsoft neared a $4 trillion market cap. The Nasdaq Composite, S&P 500, and Dow Jones Industrial Average all closed higher, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining 0.03%, the S&P 500 rising 0.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average closing up 0.7% [2].

The strong results come amid increasing competition in the AI sector, with both companies investing heavily in AI technologies. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has stated that AI is making significant strides in the company's core advertising business, while Microsoft is also focusing on AI growth as part of its long-term strategy [1].

Despite the positive earnings reports, investors remain cautious ahead of tomorrow's jobs report and President Donald Trump's tariff deadline. The busy week also includes quarterly results from Apple (AAPL) and Amazon.com (AMZN), adding to the market's focus [2].

References:
[1] https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/0731/1526250-meta-platforms-quarterly-results/
[2] https://www.kiplinger.com/investing/stocks/stocks-cant-hold-meta-microsoft-gains-stock-market-today