Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon Poised For 'Very Strong' Q4 Earnings, Says Dan Ives: 'This Is A Mid-1996 Moment'
Wedbush Analyst Dan Ives predicts a "very strong" Q4 earnings for Big Tech, led by Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon, driven by high demand for AI enterprise services. He compares the current tech landscape to mid-1996's internet boom, emphasizing genuine adoption over speculation. The prediction follows strong results from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., indicating growth in the AI sector. Microsoft is expected to reclaim a $4 trillion valuation, with earnings reports scheduled for late January and early February. Over the past year, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon stocks have seen significant increases.
Wedbush Analyst, Dan Ives, said Friday that Big Tech is poised for a “very strong” Q4 earnings.
Ives took to X on Friday to predict that the strong performance will be led by the cloud giants Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN), who have experienced significant demand for their AI enterprise services.
This is a mid-1996 Moment …and NOT a 1999 Moment for tech,” wrote Ives, likening the current tech landscape to mid-1996’s internet boom, underlined by genuine adoption and profitability, rather than the speculative bubble of 1999.
We believe tech stocks will have a very strong 4Q earnings season led by Big Tech as the cloud stalwarts Microsoft, Alphabet, and Amazon had very robust AI enterprise demand in the quarter based on our field checks. This is a mid-1996 Moment …and NOT a 1999 Moment for tech 🔥🐂
— Dan Ives (@DivesTech) January 16, 2026
The prediction comes on the heels of a strong performance by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Ltd. (NYSE:TSM) as it kickstarts the tech earnings season. The chip giant reported a 35% increase in profits driven by global demand for its products.
TSMC’s result is being seen as a strong indicator of the continued growth of the AI industry, with neocloud providers like CoreWeave, Inc. (NASDAQ:CRWV) and Nebius Group N.V. (NASDAQ:NBIS) receiving validation for their business model to provide specialized compute power.
Furthermore, Microsoft’s commitment to fully fund its data center energy costs has led market experts to predict that the tech giant is on track to reclaim a $4 trillion valuation, further indicating the strength of the tech market.
Meanwhile, Jack Fu, chief executive of Draco Evolution, pointed to the massive spending plans from the largest cloud and technology companies and told Benzinga that stepping into 2026, “the market will care more about return on that spend, not just the headlines."
Microsoft’s earnings is scheduled for January 28, while Alphabet and Amazon are likely to report on February 4 and February 5, respectively.
Price Action: Over the past year, Microsoft stock surged 7.56%, as per data from Benzinga Pro, while Alphabet and Amazon climbed 71.37% and 7.94%, respectively.
Image via Shutterstock
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
