The Trading Post | 01.30.26

Good morning,

Futures are sliding on a potential Warsh-led Fed pivot, tech continues to leak as AI valuations get stress-tested, Microsoft gets punished while Meta gets rewarded, Apple beats but waves the margin-warning flag, storage names rip while semi equipment stumbles, and the broader market wrestles with a bull trend versus rising macro risk.

Brandon Wendell is hosting a free class revealing how futures trading can give you more flexibility, require less capital, and help you trade on your own schedule—even with a full-time job. 

Let’s jump in.

Pre-Market Performance

As of 01.29.26 market close.

Market News

• Warsh Nomination Pressures Futures: Index futures are red as markets digest Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair, reviving hawkish fears and extending tech-led selling. Nasdaq and S&P futures are off ~0.5%, with headline-driven volatility likely at the open. Bloomberg

• MSFT vs META: AI Dispersion Widens: Microsoft is sharply lower on cloud growth and AI CapEx margin concerns, while Meta rips on strong earnings and ad-driven AI leverage. Same theme, very different scorecards. CNBC

• Apple Beats, But Margins Are the Story: AAPL delivers an earnings beat, but rising component costs cap upside. Traders should expect choppy post-earnings price action with plenty of fake breaks around VWAP. CNBC

• AI Storage Surges, Semi Equipment Sags: Sandisk and Western Digital explode higher on bullish AI-driven demand, while KLA gets hit on weak guidance. It’s a clean split between demand beneficiaries and capex bottlenecks. Meyka

• Bull Market… With Conditions: Earnings breadth remains strong and the S&P sits near record highs, but valuations, Fed uncertainty, and upcoming jobs/CPI data keep traders defensive and tactical. Reuters

A Message From Wealth Builders HQ

Trade Futures on Your Terms—Free Class with Brandon Wendell 

If you've ever felt stuck trading only during market hours, frustrated by account size limitations, or exhausted from being chained to your screen, this free training is for you. 

Brandon Wendell, CMT—a 20-year futures veteran and former hedge fund manager—is hosting The Emini Revolution, a complimentary class that reveals how futures trading can transform your approach to the markets. 

Inside this training, you'll discover: 

• The Flexibility of Futures Trading – Trade outside regular market hours, whether you're a night owl or juggling a 9-to-5 

• How to Grow a Smaller Account – Learn to leverage futures without tying up thousands in single positions 

• Professional Risk Management – Discover how prioritizing protection leads to consistent, scalable results 

Brandon doesn't just teach theory—he trades these markets daily and has trained thousands of students worldwide. As a Chartered Market Technician® (a credential held by less than 1% of traders), he brings institutional-level insight to everyday traders. 

This class is perfect if you: 

• Struggle to trade consistently due to time constraints 

• Feel limited by your account size 

• Want to learn spreads but they seem too complicated 

• Jump from strategy to strategy without clear results 

Register now for The Emini Revolution and discover why futures may be the most overlooked opportunity for today's traders—offering you flexibility, lower barriers to entry, and a safer path to consistent results. 

Spots are limited, so reserve your free seat today. 

Earnings We’re Watching

• American Express Co. (AXP) - Friday (BMO) 

• Charter Communications Inc. (CHTR) - Friday (BMO) 

• Chevron Corporation (CVX) - Friday (BMO) 

• Colgate-Palmolive Co. (CL) - Friday (BMO) 

• Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) - Friday (BMO) 

• Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc. (REGN) - Friday (BMO) 

• Verizon Communications (VZ) - Friday (BMO) 

Trade Ideas

Want to learn how we trade these? Learn the setup we call the “High Volatility Switchback” trade.

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Daily Moment of Zen

Why It Matters:

Markets love to seduce traders into thinking success comes from constant action. More trades. More indicators. More opinions. In reality, most damage isn’t caused by missing the right trade—it’s caused by repeating the wrong ones. Over-sizing, chasing breakouts that already left the station, holding losers because “it’ll come back,” or trading macro opinions instead of price. You don’t need genius-level entries to survive this game. You just need discipline-level exits and the self-control to avoid obvious landmines. In trading, doing fewer dumb things consistently beats doing a few brilliant things occasionally. Boring? Yes. Profitable? Also yes.

If you want it sharper, snarkier, or more futures/options-specific, I can tweak the lens in one pass.