Tesla, Microsoft, Meta Earnings LIVE
Overall Thesis
Discussion of earnings announcements and political/economic policy impacts including Fed rate decisions, currency intervention, and government spending effects on markets.
Narratives
Meta delivered strong Q4 revenue beats and positive Q1 guidance, but significantly higher AI capex spending of $125 billion (vs $110B expected) creates investor concerns about return on investment.
Key Arguments
- Q4 revenue beat at $59.89B vs $58.42B expected
- Ad revenue beat at $58.14B vs $56.7B expected
- Q1 forecast beat by 7.4%
- Family of apps revenue strong at $58.9B vs $57.4B expected
Microsoft delivered solid Q2 results with Azure growth meeting expectations and cloud revenue crossing $50 billion, though initial market reaction was negative despite the beats.
Key Arguments
- Q2 revenue beat at $81.2B vs $80.3B expected
- Azure cloud revenue met estimates at 38% growth
- Cloud revenue crossed $50 billion milestone
- Intelligent cloud revenue better than expected at $32.91B
- Net gains from OpenAI investment boosted earnings
Tesla delivered better-than-expected Q4 earnings with strong gross margins and EPS beats, despite revenue misses. The company is on track for Cyber Cab, Semi, and Megapack 3 in 2026, positioning for autonomous vehicle growth.
Key Arguments
- Adjusted EPS beat at 50 cents vs 45 cents expected
- Gross margin significantly beat at 20.1% vs 17.1% expected
- Cyber Cab, Semi, and Megapack 3 on schedule for 2026
- Strong energy storage growth at nearly 30%
- Cash position up 21% year-over-year to $44 billion
The dollar has weakened significantly since Trump's inauguration, with the administration favoring a weaker dollar policy to promote US manufacturing competitiveness.
Key Arguments
- Dollar peaked around Trump's inauguration and has weakened since
- Trump administration prefers weaker dollar for manufacturing
- Treasury Secretary Bessant indicated no yen intervention policy
The yen continues to weaken against the dollar, with USD/JPY moving from recent highs toward levels that previously triggered carry trade concerns, though not as severe as the August 2024 collapse.
Key Arguments
- USD/JPY declined from 159+ to 153 range
- Treasury indicated no US intervention in yen markets
- Carry trade dynamics still present but more stable than August 2024
Hedges & Caveats
- Transcript appears to be a news interview rather than investment analysis
- No specific price targets or directional calls on Tesla, Microsoft, or Meta
- Discussion focuses on macro policy and political commentary rather than company fundamentals
- Content is primarily reactive commentary on news events rather than predictive analysis