More than a third of S&P 500 companies are about to report earnings as market confidence cracks

• 179 S&P 500 companies (36%) report Q3 earnings this week, including Amazon, Alphabet, Microsoft. • Investors are anxious about AI trade sustainability, high gas prices, and bond-market volatility. • Strategists warn cautious-to-negative sentiment could make this an especially tricky earnings week. A pivotal week for third-quarter earnings begins Monday, with corporate America aiming to steady a jittery stock market. FactSet data show 36% of S&P 500 companies — 179 in total — report results this week, led by Amazon.com, Alphabet, and Microsoft, firms the index has heavily relied on for gains. Investors remain uneasy about several crosscurrents: whether the AI trade is sustainable, elevated gas prices, and tremors in the bond market. Strategists say the mix of cautious-to-negative sentiment could make this a tricky stretch for markets.