Microsoft (MSFT) -- Xbox

Microsoft releases 21Q1 earnings today after the bell. Investors will be gauging if/how the pandemic impacted revenue growth. Some deceleration is expected, particularly in its cloud business.

In the meantime, another key segment caught our attention: gaming.

Xbox Series X and Series S preorders began Sept. 22 and demand mentions soared. It was the largest Purchase Intent spike for the brand we've ever recorded.

Tweets showed pre-order sellout in seconds. Consoles arrive Nov. 10...just in time for the holiday shopping.

Xbox is only one glimpse into Microsoft's revenue, but is a bright spot. We're prepared for explosive gaming success in the coming months.

Trend Watch: Cloud Gaming (FB, NVDA, GOOGL)

Facebook (FB) announced that it will be entering the cloud gaming market with a free-to-play business model. LikeFolio data for cloud gaming services shows that NVDA's Geforce Now is currently leading the pack.

Facebook appears to be taking a slightly different route...