Hey Traders!
It’s Friday, May 15, 2026 — and we’re stepping into one of the most anticipated earnings weeks of the year. Earnings have been the #1 catalyst keeping the stock market elevated and driving it higher.
Cisco (CSCO) – Post-Earnings Move
One of the biggest moves of the week came from Cisco, which gapped up 15% opst-earnings, and held that post-earnings gap thus far. This was also one of the tickers we traded in the Mastering the Trade room for the pre-earnings momentum rally.
Check out CSCO in the Earnings Hot Zone below:
Just this week, Cisco (CSCO) delivered a strong Q3 beat with 12% year-over-year revenue growth to $15.84 billion and EPS of $1.06 (topping estimates), fueled by surging AI infrastructure demand — sending shares up double digits.
Nebius Group: Post-earnings Move
NBIS has been one of my favorite pre-earnings momentum movers and post-earnings momentum trades too.
Check out NBIS in the Earnings Hot Zone:
Nebius Group (NBIS) crushed expectations with a staggering 684% revenue surge in Q1, driven by an 841% jump in its AI cloud segment, and shares popped nearly 18%. These are just the latest examples in a broader earnings season that has seen consistently high beat rates and upward guidance revisions across tech and growth names. That corporate strength has repeatedly fueled the rally, even as valuations stretched.
The VanEck Semiconductor ETF (SMH)
The semiconductor rally has been extreme and remains historically extended, but after historic moves in many semiconductor names, especially earnings pushes, this space remains my top, relative strength area to focus.
Check out the daily chart below:
SMH, my favorite semiconductor ETF, has experienced a historic rally from the March 2026 lows, surpassing the 1.272% and 1.618% extension levels, and even the 2.618% extension level.
Upcoming Earnings in Focus: Nvidia (NVDA)
Next week, the spotlight turns squarely to Nvidia. While the recent pre-earnings momentum move in NVDA has been strong, it’s lagged SMH as a whole, leading me to believe there is more upside ahead.
Check out NVDA in the Earnings Hot Zone below:
NVDA is the top holding in the SMH ETF, taking up 17% of the ETF. NVIDIA reports on Wednesday after the close (see the full calendar below), and this print will be the week’s most important event. After a historic gap and rally in AMD post-earnings, I can’t say I’m concerned!
Investors are laser-focused on:
- Data center and AI infrastructure revenue momentum
- Progress on the Blackwell platform ramp
- Gross margins holding near the mid-70% range
- Forward guidance that confirms the AI capex cycle still has plenty of runway
A blowout report with strong guidance could keep the Nasdaq and chip sector momentum roaring. Any signs of softening demand or cautious outlook, however, could trigger the first meaningful pullback in months — and the magnitude of that move will likely be decided right here. At the same time, we’re getting a comprehensive read on consumer sentiment.
Upcoming Earnings Next Week
Check out my custom Options Earnings watchlist below!
A packed slate of retail and consumer discretionary names reports across the week (full lineup in the calendar below). In a high-inflation environment, these prints could be a major headwind. But the data and on-the-ground trends continue to show consumer resilience: recent retail sales have held up, discretionary spending intentions remain selective but steady, and households are still spending despite price pressures.
For these reports, investors will be watching same-store sales trends, pricing power, margin stability, and management commentary on consumer behavior.
So far, the narrative points to a soft-landing story rather than a derailment.
Your Complete Trading Edge Starts Right Here
This is precisely why the Options Earnings Calendar is your must-have tool every week. It gives you the clean BMO/AMC map, historical move data, short-float percentage, and social media sentiment, all in one place.
Grab the full interactive calendar now at optionssearnings.com — powered by Public.com. Bookmark it, screenshot it, and make it your trading blueprint for next week.
Bottom line: Earnings season remains the primary driver of this bull market. Recent beats from CSCO, NBIS, and others have kept the rally alive — now NVDA will test whether the AI/semiconductor surge has more room to run, while consumer reports will likely reinforce spending resilience.
Trade smart, size appropriately, and let’s crush this week together.
See you in the markets,
Follow me on X @TraderDanielle for live updates, watchlist alerts, and post-earnings recaps.
