Key Macro Events Next Week: Fed Rate Decision Approaches, Earnings Reports from Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Others

On April 26, it was reported that next week will feature a super central bank week and earnings week. The Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, Bank of England, European Central Bank, and Bank of Canada will successively announce their interest rate decisions, with the Federal Reserve set to release its decision at 2 AM Beijing time on Thursday. The market generally expects all five central banks to maintain their current rates, but the Bank of Japan may signal a hawkish stance for a June rate hike due to conflicts in the Middle East and inflation pressures, making it a key focus. JPMorgan predicts that the Federal Reserve will keep rates unchanged throughout 2026, with the next adjustment possibly being a rate hike in the third quarter of 2027. The seven tech giants in the U.S. stock market, including Google, Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, and Meta, will also report their quarterly earnings. The important macro data and events for next week are as follows: Monday: According to New Delhi Television, the second round of negotiations between Iran and the U.S. is scheduled for April 27 (local time Monday). Tuesday: Bank of Japan announces its interest rate decision; Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda holds a monetary policy press conference. Wednesday: Bank of Canada policy interest rate decision; Iran announces a large parade showcasing national strength on the 29th (local time Wednesday); Robinhood releases its earnings report. Thursday: Federal Reserve FOMC interest rate decision (2 AM Beijing time); Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell holds a monetary policy press conference (2:30 AM Beijing time); after the U.S. stock market closes, Meta, Microsoft, Qualcomm, Google, and Amazon will release their earnings reports and hold conference calls; Bank of England policy interest rate decision; U.S. Q1 real GDP annualized quarter-on-quarter preliminary value; U.S. initial jobless claims for the week ending April 25 (in thousands); U.S. March core PCE price index month-on-month. Friday: After the U.S. stock market closes, Apple will hold a conference call to discuss its Q2 performance and business updates; Google will raise prices for services such as Cloud, CDN, and AI infrastructure. Saturday: Berkshire Hathaway will hold its first shareholders’ meeting in the post-Buffett era (8 PM Beijing time Saturday).