Markets face what could be the most important week of summer with Fed, earnings and economic data

There’s a head-spinning amount of news for markets to navigate in the week ahead, the biggest of which will be the Federal Reserve’s mid-week meeting.

The two largest U.S. companies - Microsoft and Apple - report Tuesday and Thursday, respectively. Google parent Alphabet releases results Tuesday, and Amazon reports Thursday. Meta Platforms, formerly Facebook, reports Wednesday. In all, more than a third of the S&P 500 companies are reporting.

On top of that are several hefty economic reports, which should add fuel to the debate on whether the economy is heading towards or is already in a recession.