Stock Market Week Ahead: Hyperscaler Blitz, Federal Reserve Transition

U.S. equity benchmarks pushed higher as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq closed at or near record highs, logging a fourth straight weekly gain while the Dow slipped and remains roughly 3% below its February peak. Strength in chip and hyperscaler-related names drove optimism ahead of a heavy tech earnings week — Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google and Meta — and Nvidia sits close to a buy point. Market sentiment has been buoyed despite Middle East news and rising oil; the Fed transition and an upcoming Powell news conference also shape near-term expectations. Key corporate catalysts include earnings from hyperscalers, big pharma (Eli Lilly), industrials (Caterpillar) and several heavy Q1 reports that could sustain or test the rally.