Earnings Watch: Week of July 26, 2026

The earnings calendar

The upcoming week features a highly anticipated slate of corporate earnings reports. The schedule of releases is structured as follows:

• 2026-07-28 (Before market): $KO
• 2026-07-29 (After market): $ARM, $META, $MSFT, $QCOM
• 2026-07-30 (After market): $AAPL, $AMZN, $MSTR
• 2026-07-31 (Before market): $CVX

Names already on Whalor's radar

Several companies reporting this week, alongside major index exchange-traded funds (ETFs) heavily influenced by them, have appeared in recent Whalor setup contexts:

• $AMZN: Features an upcoming report on 2026-07-30 (after). Its recent setup context was bearish, utilizing a failed breakout/breakdown trap pattern ($232.5 Put expiring 2026-07-24, which concluded with a time stop).
• Broad Market ETFs ($QQQ, $SPY): Multiple technical setups occurred recently in these instruments (such as the $682 Put on $QQQ and the $741 Put on $SPY, both expiring 2026-07-27). These index-level instruments are highly sensitive to the concentration of mega-cap tech earnings reporting mid-week.
• Semiconductors ($NVDA, $AMD): While not reporting this week, these names have active or recently closed setups (such as the active $550 Call on $AMD expiring 2026-07-27) that may experience correlation volatility from peer reports like $ARM and $QCOM.

It is vital to distinguish a prior chart setup from an earnings prediction. A chart setup—such as a "failed breakout breakdown trap" or "vwap reclaim rejection"—is a technical framework designed to capture short-term, localized momentum or mean reversion based on historical price action. It is not an indicator of fundamental performance, nor is it a forecast of how the market will react to an upcoming earnings release.

Risk checklist

Trading or holding options through an earnings event introduces structural risks that differ significantly from standard intraday or swing setups:

• Implied Volatility (IV) Crush: Option pricing is heavily influenced by IV, which reflects expected future price movement. IV typically rises ahead of earnings as uncertainty builds, inflating option premiums. Once the announcement occurs, this uncertainty is resolved, causing IV to collapse (an "IV crush") and rapidly deflating option values, even if the underlying stock moves in the anticipated direction.
• Gap Risk: Earnings are released outside regular trading hours (before market open or after market close). This prevents traders from exiting positions at intermediate price levels. If a stock gaps heavily against a position overnight, standard stop-loss orders will execute at the opening market price, potentially resulting in losses far greater than anticipated.
• Widening Spreads: Liquidity often thins ahead of and immediately following an earnings announcement. Market makers increase their bid-ask spreads to protect against rapid price swings, increasing the cost of entering or exiting positions.

Disclaimer: This outlook is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.

Confirmed report schedule

• $KO: 2026-07-28 (before)
• $ARM: 2026-07-29 (after)
• $META: 2026-07-29 (after)
• $MSFT: 2026-07-29 (after)
• $QCOM: 2026-07-29 (after)
• $AAPL: 2026-07-30 (after)
• $AMZN: 2026-07-30 (after)
• $MSTR: 2026-07-30 (after)
• $CVX: 2026-07-31 (before)