Markets rallied hard on Monday as the US/China trade war was put on a 90-day timeout. While tariffs of up to 30% remain in place on a large percentage of Chinese imports, the most crippling ones were removed, and the S&P 500 jumped more than 3%.
But the tariff reset is not the only thing boosting markets lately. The tech sector has been quietly rallying as strong earnings have helped large-cap firms outperform the rest of the market. Microsoft MSFT and Meta Platforms META reported strong Q1 earnings, including an impressive EPS number from META that came in 20% higher than expectations. Both stocks jumped following their reports, with MSFT leaping 10% and closing above $435 for the first time since January.
Large-cap tech has allowed the NASDAQ to comfortably outperform the S&P 500 over the last couple of weeks. And if recent earnings and capex spending plans are any indication, the sector will continue to fuel the next leg of any potential market rally.
Here are four large tech stocks with momentum after earnings, pushing the stocks higher and higher.
Each stock has a highly anticipated conference call and a Benzinga Edge Momentum Score of at least 80.
Meta Platforms Inc.
Benzinga Edge Momentum Score: 82.82
Meta Platforms shares soared in February, riding a DiMaggio-esque streak of 20 consecutive up days to a new all-time high above $740 per share. However, a steep correction followed the impressive winning streak, and shares were back under $500 by the third week of April. But now, with tariff turbulence (maybe) in the rearview, earnings could become the focus, and META's quarter surpassed all expectations.
On April 30, META reported Q1 EPS of $6.43 and revenue of $42.31B, handily surpassing analyst estimates, including a nearly 22% upside EPS beat. The company earned $16.64B in net income, a year-over-year increase of almost 35%. Profit margins also came in 15% higher than the previous year. META earns a spot on our list over MSFT because we believe there's more short-term upside in META shares, especially if the 50-day SMA and 200-day SMA continue converging. Based on 43 analyst reports, META shares are a consensus Buy with an average price target of $704, indicating 10% more potential upside from current levels.
Netflix Inc.
Benzinga Edge Momentum Score: 96.14
Netflix NFLX is the biggest winner in the streaming wars, with a dominant market share amongst TV viewers and new forays into live sports and entertainment. The stock dipped under $200 per share in June 2022 at the peak of the bear market but now sits above $1100, a remarkable advance of more than 500% in less than three years. The company reported solid earnings on April 17, posting a modest revenue beat but an EPS figure 15% higher than analyst expectations.
The $10.54 billion in revenue is still the most Netflix has ever done in a quarter, and the report was the fifth straight top and bottom line beat for the streaming giant. The stock also has strong technical signals, trading firmly above the 50-day and 200-day SMAs after bouncing off the 200-day SMA in early April. The company projects EPS of $7.04 and revenue of $11.04 billion in Q2 2025, and it received 11 price target boosts from analysts following the Q1 report. A recent oversold reading on the RSI triggered a short selloff, which could represent a good entry point for new investors.
Uber Technologies Inc.
Benzinga Edge Momentum Score: 85.44
Uber UBER has been on a long path to profitability. Still, the company reported positive income in Q2 2023 and has made money in seven of the eight quarterly reports since then. Its Q1 2025 report was a serious improvement over Q4 2024, with EPS beating analyst expectations by more than 65% (negating a slight miss on revenue). One big positive has been the Uber One subscription service, which experienced 60% year-over-year growth and provides the company with a new model for customer retention. The stock is now up more than 44% year-to-date, including a 20% ascent in the last month.
UBER shares saw a Golden Cross form in March as the 50-day SMA crossed over the 200-day SMA, but the bullish momentum didn't kick in until the initial tariff pause on April 9. The momentum continued following the May 7 earnings report. Today, the stock trades comfortably above its 50- and 200-day SMAs. One possible trap to watch is on the RSI, where the reading approaches the overbought threshold of 70. However, Uber appears now to have fundamental and technical tailwinds at its back, and analysts remain bullish with a consensus Buy rating based on 34 research reports.
Palo Alto Networks
Benzinga Edge Momentum Score: 98.30
One of the highest momentum scores belongs to Palo Alto Networks PANW, a favorite during the post-COVID bull market. The stock also didn't suffer as hard as the rest of the tech sector during the 2022 bear market and has posted an overall gain of more than 400% in the last five years. While its earnings for Q1 haven't been released yet, the stock is showing signs of more upside ahead.
Palo Alto Networks doesn't report earnings until May 20, but investors appear to be positioning themselves for positive numbers. The 10-day exponential MA recently crossed the 20-day exponential MA, indicating short-term momentum brewing (EMAs give more weight to recent prices than SMAs). According to Wedbush, cybersecurity stocks could be a group that sees outsized gains after the reduction of the China tariffs. Palo Alto Networks reported a top and bottom line beat for its Q4 2024 report; analysts expect an EPS of 0.77 and revenue of $2.28B for Q1 2025. The stock is rated a consensus Buy based on 43 analyst reports, with an average price target of $311, which indicates an upside potential of more than 35%.
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