US Equity Markets Rise Amid Gains in Tech Stocks Ahead of Earnings Season

US equity markets rose amid gains in tech stocks ahead of earnings season. The NASDAQ 100 index led the gains, driven by strong performances from tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones also rose, with the latter closing at a record high. Gold prices continued to rally, reaching a record $4,000/oz amid hopes of a US rate cut.

US equity markets experienced a surge on Tuesday, September 12, 2025, as tech stocks led the way ahead of the earnings season. The NASDAQ 100 index, in particular, saw strong performances from tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft, contributing to the overall market gains. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones also rose, with the latter closing at a record high. Concurrently, gold prices continued to rally, reaching a record $4,000 per ounce amid hopes of a US rate cut.

Microsoft is set to report its earnings on October 29, 2025, with a focus on the performance of its Azure public-cloud business and its monetization of investments in artificial intelligence. The company is also involved in ongoing high-stakes lawsuits alongside tech firms such as OpenAI and Meta Platforms, which allege unauthorized use of copyrighted material for training AI systems Key facts: Microsoft to report earnings; faces AI lawsuits; ZainTECH launches Azure ExpressRoute^[1].

ZainTECH, with Zain Kuwait and Zain Omantel, launched Microsoft Azure ExpressRoute on the Azure Marketplace, providing secure access to Azure for government and enterprise clients in Kuwait. This launch underscores Microsoft's continued expansion and innovation in the cloud services sector Key facts: Microsoft to report earnings; faces AI lawsuits; ZainTECH launches Azure ExpressRoute^[1].

Meanwhile, Walker Financial Services initiated a position of 32,301 shares of the Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF in the third quarter, valued at about $8 million. This trade represented 3.1% of fund AUM for the quarter ended September 30 Walker Financial Buys $8 Million in Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF as Tech Giants Keep Driving Markets^[2]. The Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF (QQQM) seeks to track the performance of the NASDAQ-100 Index by investing at least 90% of its assets in the index's constituent securities, providing exposure to 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market Walker Financial Buys $8 Million in Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF as Tech Giants Keep Driving Markets^[2].

The ETF's top holdings, which include Nvidia, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Broadcom, and Meta, reflect the dominance of U.S. tech giants. The ETF's expense ratio of just 0.15% makes it one of the most cost-efficient ways to access this concentrated growth theme. For long-term investors, QQQM offers a diversified vehicle for capturing the Nasdaq-100’s outsized innovation exposure without the trading premium sometimes associated with its sister fund, QQQ Walker Financial Buys $8 Million in Invesco NASDAQ 100 ETF as Tech Giants Keep Driving Markets^[2].

The gains in tech stocks, driven by earnings expectations and innovation in AI and cloud infrastructure, have been a significant factor in the recent market performance. As the earnings season progresses, investors will closely watch the financial reports of these tech giants to gauge their future prospects.