Tom Essaye and Matt Maley preview a pivotal earnings week by shifting focus away from geopolitics and toward underlying risks in banks and big tech. They explain why results from Bank of America (BAC) and Wells Fargo (WFC) will be key gauges of consumer health, while warning of private‑credit risks and a potential “sell‑the‑news” reaction. The discussion also questions whether massive A.I. spending by Microsoft (MSFT), Alphabet (GOOGL), and Meta Platforms (META) can justify returns, as rising hardware costs threaten long‑term margins.