Microsoft and Facebook's Headline Roller Coaster

Happy earnings season! In this episode of the Market Foolery podcast, host Chris Hill talks with Total Income contributor Ron Gross about earnings out of Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and the importance of conference calls.

Facebook dropped after reporting its fourth quarter and then rose to a new all-time high after investors had a chance to digest the report. Microsoft is taking a big hit from the new tax plan, but its metrics are fantastic and its future is promising. Also, the guys discuss why CEO transparency is more important than frequency of earnings reports, and why we're not seeing conference calls by video just yet.

A full transcript follows the video.

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This video was recorded on Feb. 1, 2018.

Chris Hill: It's Thursday, Feb. 1. Welcome to Market Foolery! I'm Chris Hill. Joining me in studio today, from Total Income, Ron Gross. Happy February!

Ron Gross: Hey! It's February already.

Hill: It is. How about that? Just like the calendar predicted.

Gross: Have you written 2018 on a check yet?

Hill: No.

Gross: Do you still write checks?

Hill: Every once in a great while I write checks, and if someone is nearby watching me, they make fun of me.

Gross: [laughs] That's funny.

Hill: It's Earningspalooza.

Gross: Thank God!

Hill: Before we get to Earningspalooza, three quick housekeeping items. Usually I do those at the end, I'm going to get them out of the way right now.

Gross: Please.

Hill: Because, in the wake of yesterday's episode, I've already gotten emails, questions and tweets from listeners about the Fool 100. Just go to fool100.com.

Gross: Everything you need to know.

Hill: That will answer far more than I can tell you. As I mentioned, it's Earningspalooza this week on Motley Fool Money. There are so many companies reporting earnings just in the last 24 hours.

Gross: It's a plethora.

Hill: It is. We couldn't get to them all today. PayPal, eBay, we're not getting to those today. We will get to them on Motley Fool Money. Otherwise this would be an hour-long show.

Gross: No. I have to go.

Hill: Speaking of hour-long shows, my third announcement is a reminder that, tomorrow, Friday, Feb. 2, there will be a bonus episode of Market Foolery. It is our third Apropos of Nothing episode.