In particular, we’ll be watching as three of the largest vertically integrated companies—Cargill, Bayer and Corteva—release their earnings reports next week. We’re especially interested in the application of this technology to the pharmaceutical and energy sectors. Meta Platforms, Microsoft, AstraZeneca, and Associated British Foods are among the firms that will attract considerable attention from investors and analysts alike.
Based on consensus projections, Meta Platforms will reach $48.4 billion in fourth quarter 2025 revenue—pushing $50 billion quarterly revenue towards reality during this cycle. The family of apps segment brings in a staggering $47.3 billion in revenue. This section includes major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger. The company faces severe headwinds in the metaverse wing dubbed Reality Labs. This segment took in just under $5 billion in operating losses over this same quarter.
At the same time, Microsoft has shown the industry how it’s done by reporting a healthy revenue growth of 12%, to $69.6 billion. The company’s services revenue surged to $26.34 billion, compared with $23.12 billion. This boom was mostly driven by the phenomenal performance of its Microsoft 365 product suite, which saw a 13% increase in service revenues to $29.4 billion. Helping Microsoft’s cause was a 9% jump in LinkedIn revenue, which powered much of the strong MSFT performance.
On the pharma side, AstraZeneca will report its first-quarter 2025 financial results on April 28. Recent US tariff developments on imported medicines might play an outsize role in AstraZeneca’s fortunes. Just earlier this month, the company’s share fell to one-year lows, worrying investors about the company’s future growth potential.
Associated British Foods (ABF) will be next in line with its H1 2025 results on April 29. In its most recent quarterly results, ABF announced that sales for its Primark division were up 2%. This increase is a testament to widespread consumer interest despite difficult market conditions.
The energy sector isn’t just feeling criticism from activists and environmentalists as BP and Shell disappointed in 2025. Wael Sarwan emphasized the need for “profitable business models that can be scaled at pace to truly impact the decarbonisation of the global energy system,” hinting at the necessity for these companies to innovate and adapt to changing market dynamics.
In addition to these major companies, banks such as Barclays, NatWest, HSBC, and Lloyds will provide their Q1 trading updates next week. To the new class of investors, it will be fascinating to see how these institutions are continuing to steer through an increasingly complicated economic landscape.