Stocks to Watch This Week: April 2026 Watchlist
TickerTalksAI Research Team
Apr 25, 2026
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9 min read
Eight stocks with major earnings reports, technical breakout setups, and catalysts to watch during the week of April 20-24, 2026. Tesla, ServiceNow, Lam Research, and more.
The week of April 20-24, 2026 brings one of the most consequential earnings periods of the year. With Big Tech reporting and several growth stocks approaching key technical levels, active traders have no shortage of opportunities. This stocks to watch list highlights eight names with earnings catalysts, breakout potential, and unusual options activity worth monitoring.
Key Takeaways
- Tesla (TSLA) and ServiceNow (NOW) report Q1 2026 earnings on April 22, with AI and robotaxi updates in focus
- Lam Research (LRCX) and Vertiv (VRT) offer semiconductor and data center infrastructure exposure ahead of Wednesday's reports
- Nvidia (NVDA) continues its 11-day winning streak at $201.68, with May 20 earnings approaching
- Intuitive Surgical (ISRG) reports Tuesday with da Vinci 5 rollout updates expected
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Earnings Plays
Tesla (TSLA)
Why it's trending: Tesla reports Q1 2026 earnings on April 22 after the bell, making it the headline event of the week.
Key catalyst: Tesla reports Q1 2026 earnings on April 22, the earliest of the five mega-cap tech names. Street consensus expects $0.37 EPS on $22.71 billion revenue. Tesla produced 408,000 vehicles but delivered only 358,000 in Q1, below the 368,903 Wall Street estimate.
Quick take: On April 15, Elon Musk announced Tesla completed the AI5 chip tape-out. The chip delivers 8x compute power versus AI4, with performance rivaling Nvidia's H100 for Tesla-specific inference workloads. Volume production is not expected until mid-2027, but the milestone signals progress on autonomous driving and Optimus robotics. Watch for Robotaxi timeline updates. TSLA trades near $200 with elevated implied volatility.
ServiceNow (NOW)
Why it's trending: ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) today announced that it will release financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, following the close of market on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. ServiceNow will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss the financial results.
Key catalyst: FY2026 subscription revenue guidance of $15.53B to $15.57B (19.5% to 20% YoY constant-currency growth, including ~1 point from Moveworks). FY2026 operating margin expected at ~32% (up ~100 bps YoY) and free cash flow margin at ~36% (up ~100 bps YoY).
Quick take: ServiceNow is set to report its first-quarter earnings on April 22, with projections indicating a modest outperformance. According to Citi, early indicators show positive consumption trends, leading to a 2.5% increase in premarket shares. Analysts anticipate earnings of $0.97 per share on revenue of $3.75 billion. AI Copilot adoption remains the key metric. NOW
Lam Research (LRCX)
Why it's trending: Lam Research (LRCX) is under significant investor focus ahead of its earnings report, with analysts anticipating a strong performance driven by AI and memory chip demand. Key developments include rising price targets and potential collaborations with Elon Musk's Terafab initiative.
Key catalyst: Lam Research has a compelling long-term outlook, and its growth estimates reflect that strength. Earnings are projected to rise 26.6% this year and 27% next year, while sales are expected to increase 21% and 22%, respectively.
Quick take: Lam Research is one of the largest providers of wafer fabrication equipment for semiconductors. Lam historically was weighted to memory chipmakers, but has gained significant share in logic chip equipment. In our view, Lam will benefit from broadly increasing chip complexity over the long term, including advanced packaging, new transistor architectures, and high-bandwidth memory capacity expansion. Reports April 22. LRCX
Intuitive Surgical (ISRG)
Why it's trending: Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) reports Q1 2026 results on April 21 after the bell. However, the stock is rising 2.7% today. Yet, with the stock down 16.92% year-to-date and trading well below its post-Q4 price, this is a quarter where execution has to speak louder than narrative.
Key catalyst: Analysts expect EPS of approximately $2.08 to $2.16 on revenue of $2.61 to $2.67 billion. Key Focus: Investors will be watching for updates on the rollout of the da Vinci 5 and commentary on 2026 procedure growth guidance (currently 13% to 15%).
Quick take: Non-GAAP EPS of $2.53 topped the $2.26 consensus by nearly 12% last quarter. Full-year 2025 marked a milestone: revenue crossed $10B for the first time, reaching $10.06B with non-GAAP EPS of $8.93. The da Vinci 5 ramp is critical. ISRG
Technical Setups
Nvidia (NVDA)
Why it's trending: Nvidia closed Friday at $201.68, extending its winning streak to eleven consecutive sessions, a run that represents the stock's longest consecutive daily gain sequence on record.
Key catalyst: The stock has essentially doubled from its April lows as the combination of peace hopes in the Middle East, strong TSMC quarterly data and continued hyperscaler capital expenditure commitments has restored confidence in the AI infrastructure cycle. Nvidia's own quarterly report is scheduled for May 20, with analysts expecting the company to guide for approximately $78 billion in first-quarter fiscal 2027 revenue. At current levels the stock trades at roughly 22 times forward earnings, which analysts at several firms have described as the cheapest forward multiple since the AI rally began in earnest in 2023.
Quick take: The current NVIDIA(NVDA) stock price is $200.98, with a market capitalization of 4.96T. The stock trades at a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 41.18. Watch for continuation above $200 resistance. NVDA
Vertiv Holdings (VRT)
Why it's trending: Vertiv (NYSE: VRT) will report first quarter 2026 results before market open on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, with a conference call at 11:00 a.m. ET the same day.
Key catalyst: Recent news tied to AI data centers, manufacturing expansion, and acquisitions has generally coincided with positive price reactions. Over the last month, Vertiv announced multiple growth initiatives, including a planned $50 million Ohio expansion targeting a ~45% capacity increase by Q2 2027. Collaboration with NVIDIA on AI factory infrastructure also drew a positive reaction.
Quick take: From March 2025 to March 2026, Vertiv (VRT) surged 191%, driven by an increase in AI-driven orders and a doubled backlog, which enhanced revenue visibility. Data center infrastructure remains a secular growth theme. VRT
Catalyst Plays
Carpenter Technology (CRS)
Why it's trending: Carpenter Technology (CRS) is a high-conviction industrial pick that has been quietly outperforming the S&P 500. Priced at $426.16, the stock has gained 9.99% in the last month. CRS specializes in high-performance specialty alloys, a sector that is seeing massive tailwinds from the aerospace and defense industries in 2026.
Key catalyst: Aerospace and defense demand for specialty alloys continues accelerating, with CRS positioned as a primary supplier.
Quick take: The technical setup shows institutional accumulation with strong relative performance. A breakout above recent highs could trigger further momentum.
Urban Outfitters (URBN)
Why it's trending: Another name exhibiting unusual call activity today is Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN + $3.76 to $73.24), as call volume has risen to 8,126 contracts in morning trading, 30x the average volume and 60x the put volume. What's driving today's volume is a call vertical that was purchased in the May 8th, 2026, expiration month. Traders paid $1.00 for 3,495 of the 75.00/80.00 call vertical spreads. This price was slightly above the mid-price and looks to be new positioning, given the very low open interest (suggesting bullish intent). Shares of URBN are up 20% in April and just climbed above their 200-day SMA for the first time since mid-February.
Key catalyst: Unusual options activity signals institutional positioning ahead of potential catalyst.
Quick take: The 20% April rally and 200-day SMA breakout suggest momentum traders are building positions.
This Week's Earnings Calendar
| Date | Company | Ticker | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 21 | Intuitive Surgical | ISRG | After Close |
| April 21 | GE Aerospace | GE | Before Open |
| April 21 | UnitedHealth Group | UNH | Before Open |
| April 22 | Tesla | TSLA | After Close |
| April 22 | ServiceNow | NOW | After Close |
| April 22 | Lam Research | LRCX | After Close |
| April 22 | Vertiv | VRT | Before Open |
| April 22 | Boeing | BA | Before Open |
| April 23 | Intel | INTC | After Close |
Market Context
The Dow Jones Industrial Average jumped exactly 925.25 points (+1.90%) to close at 49,503.97. The S&P 500 followed suit, breaching the historic 7,100 mark for the first time by gaining 82.25 points (+1.17%) to reach 7,123.53, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq added 334.768 points (+1.39%) to close at 24,437.472.
The S&P 500 is expected to report 13.2% year-over-year earnings growth, marking six straight quarters of double-digit gains. The real action is in Big Tech, where the IT sector is projected to surge 45%.
The tech sector is currently projected to deliver a 27.1% earnings growth rate, significantly outpacing the broader S&P 500's expected 12.8%. This high bar means that while the "breakout" has occurred, the market will require fundamental validation. Companies will need to show not just AI investment, but actual AI-driven revenue acceleration to sustain these new price levels.
Bottom Line
This week's earnings reports from Tesla, ServiceNow, Lam Research, and Vertiv will set the tone for the AI infrastructure trade through Q2 2026. Traders should watch for:
- Tesla's Robotaxi timeline and any updates on the AI5 chip production schedule
- ServiceNow's AI Copilot adoption metrics and enterprise deal flow
- Lam Research's HBM demand commentary and capex guidance
- Vertiv's backlog growth and data center expansion updates
With the Nasdaq at record highs and implied volatility elevated across mega-cap tech, position sizing and risk management remain critical for active traders this week.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research and consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
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