--- title: "Apple outlook; oil holds gains; yen in focus – what’s moving markets" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/284879693.md" description: "U.S. equity futures rose after record closes, buoyed by Apple's strong revenue forecast and ongoing earnings reports. Apple announced a $100 billion share buyback and projected 14%-17% revenue growth, despite supply constraints. The yen weakened against the dollar, prompting intervention signals from Tokyo. Oil prices gained amid geopolitical tensions with Iran. Earnings reports from major companies like Exxon Mobil and Chevron are anticipated, highlighting a divergence in U.S. and European earnings momentum. OpenAI addressed concerns over internal targets, while S&P Dow Jones Indices considered including new mega-cap companies in its benchmarks." datetime: "2026-05-01T09:09:00.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/284879693.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/284879693.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/284879693.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Apple outlook; oil holds gains; yen in focus – what’s moving markets Investing.com- U.S. equity futures edged higher after record closes on Wall Street, as investors balanced strong corporate earnings signals against rising geopolitical risks and currency volatility. A solid outlook from Apple supported sentiment, while oil prices held weekly gains amid escalating tensions involving Iran. At the same time, a weaker yen and ongoing earnings releases from major U.S. companies kept markets focused on both macro and corporate drivers. Most European markets are closed today due to a Labor Day. 1\. U.S. futures higher after Apple report Markets extended their upward momentum, with U.S. equity futures rising after major benchmarks closed at fresh records. In Asia, Japan’s Nikkei 225 advanced, while most regional markets were shut for holidays. Apple stood out after issuing a stronger-than-expected revenue forecast, although it flagged rising memory-chip costs and ongoing Mac supply constraints lasting “several months.” Tokyo Electron also supported sentiment with a better-than-expected outlook for first-half operating income. Apple projected strong sales growth for the current quarter and announced a $100 billion share buyback. It expects fiscal third-quarter revenue to grow 14%–17%, well above Wall Street estimates of around 9.5%, supported by demand for the iPhone 17 and MacBook Neo. For the fiscal second quarter, the company reported revenue of $111.18 billion and earnings per share of $2.01, both ahead of expectations. iPhone revenue came in at $56.99 billion, slightly below estimates due to supply constraints. 2\. Earnings continue Earnings remain in focus, with results due from Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Estée Lauder and Colgate-Palmolive. Barclays strategists said this week that “blended Q1 EPS growth is turning up," while noting that earnings beats are "much stronger in the US than Europe,” pointing to continued divergence in regional earnings momentum. 3\. USD/JPY in focus In currency markets, the Japanese yen's USD/JPY weakened back toward the 157 level against the dollar despite recent intervention efforts by authorities in Tokyo. Officials signaled they remain ready to step in again, including monitoring crude oil markets where speculative moves have contributed to currency volatility. Tim Baker, a macro strategist at Deutsche Bank, said he is not convinced the pair "will keep falling or even stay here for long," he argued. "The cross may well be high relative to rates, but it's actually low relative to a simple model that includes rates, equities and oil." 4\. Oil prices rise Oil prices held onto a second straight weekly gain amid escalating geopolitical tensions. Donald Trump said the U.S. would maintain a naval blockade of Iranian ports, while senior military officials reportedly presented new options for potential action against Iran, underscoring the risk premium in energy markets. Iran said on Thursday it would retaliate with “long and painful strikes” against U.S. positions if Washington resumes attacks, while reaffirming its claim over the Strait of Hormuz. 5\. OpenAI dismisses concerns In corporate developments, OpenAI pushed back on concerns about missing internal targets, with its CFO citing strong execution and “a vertical wall of demand.” Separately, S&P Dow Jones Indices launched a consultation that could accelerate the inclusion of newly public mega-cap companies into its benchmarks. ### Related Stocks - [AAPL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPL.US.md) - [CVX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CVX.US.md) - [XOM.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XOM.US.md) - [XOP.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/XOP.US.md) - [AAPU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/AAPU.US.md) - [IEO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/IEO.US.md) - [USO.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/USO.US.md) - [8035.JP](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/8035.JP.md) - [EL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/EL.US.md) - [CL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CL.US.md) - [BARC.UK](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BARC.UK.md) - [BCS.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/BCS.US.md) - [DBK.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DBK.DE.md) - [DB.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DB.US.md) - [OpenAI.NA](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/OpenAI.NA.md) - [TOELY.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/TOELY.US.md) - [03KB.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/03KB.DE.md) - [DPB.DE](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/DPB.DE.md) ## Related News & Research - [Oil prices set to end week over $100 for first time in nearly 4 months](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298661520.md) - [RUBBER-Japan rubber futures gain as oil rally offsets stronger yen](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298248075.md) - [Mapping the Market: Mind the gap in US oil as Iran tensions escalate](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298712793.md) - [Difficult exit from US.-Iran war prompts caution in long-end bonds](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298177770.md) - [Brent holds above $100 as tanker attacks deepen supply fear](https://longbridge.com/en/news/298520925.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**