Watchlist for Q3 earnings amid AI monetization questions

BREAKING: A $20 TRILLION AI BUST SCENARIO FOMC. INFLATION. FIVE MAJOR EARNINGS REPORTS. ALL IN 48 HOURS. Do not skip this. Breakdown: WEDNESDAY: Fed decision + $MSFT $GOOGL $NOW THURSDAY: GDP + PCE inflation + $AMZN $SNDK TS Lombard modeled an AI bust erasing roughly $20T in U.S. stock value. That’s a hypothetical downside scenario not a forecast for this week. Separately, Gartner estimates AI data centers need $8.5T in cumulative revenue through 2030 to cover planned investment, financing costs, and a 12% return. Its attributable AI revenue forecast: no more than $3.6T A $4.9T gap under those assumptions. Meanwhile, China’s youth unemployment was roughly 19% in August, excluding students, according to the WSJ. Employment pressure adds another concern for global demand. Here’s why this connects to YOUR stocks: One company’s AI spending is another company’s revenue. If buyers pull back, suppliers feel it. And “AI demand is strong” doesn’t tell you whether the stock is worth its price. This week, I’m watching: • Cloud and AI revenue growth. • Spending guidance. • Free cash flow. • How stocks react to the numbers. Strong earnings followed by failed rallies would concern me. Bad news followed by reclaimed levels that HOLD would get my attention. For downside continuation: broken support, a failed retest, and the 8/21 aligned. I can believe in AI for the next decade and still respect a downtrend today.