EasyEquities Investors Ride the US Earnings Wave

Earnings season in the US market has once again sparked major share price movements, as quarterly results from some of the world’s largest companies reveal how industry leaders are managing investor expectations and adapting to shifting economic conditions.

Amid this activity, EasyEquities’ USD NAV has surpassed R10 billion, a milestone that highlights the growing confidence and participation of South African investors in the world’s most influential market.

These earnings reports not only shed light on each company’s financial health but also shape broader market sentiment. Investors pay close attention to them for clues on future growth, capital allocation, and dividend trends, factors that often drive both short-term price movements and long-term investment decisions.

Several market leaders delivered stronger-than-expected results, sending their share prices higher.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar’s shares surged after the company delivered a strong quarter. Sales for Q3 2025 rose 10% to $17.6 billion, driven mainly by higher equipment sales. Profit per share was $4.88, impacted by a higher global tax rate and a net discrete tax charge. Operating margin fell to 17.3% from 19.5% in Q3 2024. Enterprise cash flow was $3.7 billion, with cash on hand of $7.5 billion. The company used $0.7 billion for dividends and $0.4 billion to repurchase shares.

"Solid performance from our team generated strong results this quarter, driven by resilient demand and focused execution across our three primary segments… a dynamic environment, coupled with a growing backlog, positions us for sustained momentum and long-term profitable growth,” said Caterpillar CEO.  

• Caterpillar’s next dividend announcement is expected in December 2025.

Alphabet

Alphabet’s shares rose after the company beat expectations with its third-quarter 2025 results; Q3 2025 revenues rose 16% to $102.3 billion, driven by growth in Google Search, YouTube ads, subscriptions, devices, and Google Cloud. Google Services grew 14%, and Google Cloud rose 34%, led by GCP and AI solutions. Operating income increased 9% (22% excluding a $3.5 billion EC fine). Net income rose 33%, with EPS up 35% to $2.87. 2025 capital expenditures are expected around $91–93 billion.

"Alphabet had a terrific quarter, with double-digit growth across every major part of our business. We delivered our
first-ever $100 billion quarter,” said CEO of Alphabet and Google

• The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.21 per share, payable in December 2025.

Apple

Apple’s shares climbed after the company reported another record quarter that exceeded market expectations. Fourth-quarter revenue reached $102.5 billion, up 8% year-over-year, while earnings per share grew 13% to $1.85.

 “Apple is very proud to report a September quarter revenue record of $102.5 billion, including a September quarter revenue record for iPhone and an all-time revenue record for Services," said Apple CEO.

• The board declared a dividend of $0.26 per share, payable in November 2025.

Amazon

Amazon’s shares surged after the company beat market estimates with stronger-than-expected third-quarter results. Net sales rose 13% year-over-year to $180.2 billion, driven by double-digit growth across its North America, International, and AWS segments. Net income jumped to $21.2 billion, or $1.95 per diluted share, from $15.3 billion a year earlier, reflecting strong operational performance and gains from investments in Anthropic.

 “We continue to see strong momentum and growth across Amazon as AI drives meaningful improvements in every corner of our business," said Amazon CEO.

• Amazon does not currently pay dividends.

On the other hand, a few major players saw their shares come under pressure as investors focused on higher spending and future guidance.

Microsoft

Microsoft’s shares fell after the company reported higher-than-expected capital expenditure as it continues to expand its AI and cloud infrastructure. For the first quarter of fiscal 2026, revenue grew 18% year-over-year to $77.7 billion, while net income rose 12% to $27.7 billion. Microsoft Cloud revenue increased 26% to $49.1 billion, driven by a 40% surge in Azure and other cloud services.

 “Our planet-scale cloud and AI factory, together with Copilots across high-value domains, is driving broad diffusion and real-world impact. It’s why we continue to increase our investments in AI across both capital and talent to meet the massive opportunity ahead, said Microsoft CEO.

• The company typically announces its next dividend between late November and early December.

Meta

Meta’s shares declined after reporting third-quarter results, with investor concern focused on higher-than-expected capital expenditure plans for 2026. The daily number of people active across Meta's Family averaged 3.54 billion, up 8% year-over-year. Ad impressions rose 14%, and average price per ad increased 10%. Revenue reached $51.24 billion, up 26%. Costs were $30.71 billion, and capital expenditures totalled $19.37 billion. Share repurchases were $3.16 billion, with dividends of $1.33 billion. Cash and marketable securities stood at $44.45 billion, with free cash flow of $10.62 billion. Headcount rose 8% to 78,450.

"We had a strong quarter for our business and our community... Meta Superintelligence Labs is off to a great start and we continue to lead the industry in AI glasses. If we deliver even a fraction of the opportunity ahead, then the next few years will be the most exciting period in our history," said Meta founder and CEO. "

• Meta is expected to announce its next dividend in December 2025.

Earnings announcements often trigger swift share price movements as they shape investor sentiment. Strong results can spark rallies, while weaker-than-expected numbers may lead to selloffs. Since expectations are already priced in, even positive results can sometimes prompt a pullback the following day as investors reassess valuations. This is how markets work, they move on emotions, expectations, and the continuous re-pricing of information.

That’s why the saying “time in the market beats timing the market” remains true. Rather than reacting to short-term fluctuations, investors who stay invested tend to benefit from long-term growth and dividend compounding. A temporary drop in share price after earnings could also present an opportunity to buy quality companies at better valuations and potentially lock in higher dividend yields.

Conclusion

Investors should also pay close attention to broader factors that can influence company performance, including trade relations between the countries where a company operates, interest rate trends, and overall economic growth. These elements can affect costs, earnings, and dividend outlooks, making them just as important as the quarterly numbers themselves.