Consensus EPS Growth Estimates Analysts expect very strong earnings growth ahead, with S&P 500 profits seen climbing 24% in 2026 and 17% in 2027, while small caps are expected to lead the charge at 36% this year and 38% next. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Indexed Return of Cyclicals vs. Defensives and Consensus Forward 4-Quarter U.S. GDP Growth Markets are leaning toward a steady growth outlook. The gap between cyclicals and defensives points to U.S. real GDP growth of about 1.8%, broadly in line with Goldman Sachs’ 1.9% forward 4Q GDP growth forecast. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Semiconductors vs. Consensus Fwd 12m EPS Semiconductor stocks have rallied faster than analysts have raised near-term earnings estimates, leaving valuations stretched relative to short-term fundamentals. The easy upside appears largely exhausted. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Indexed Market Cap and Consensus Fwd 12m EPS Estimates for S&P 500 Companies Earnings momentum is driving the AI infrastructure complex’s outperformance so far this year, with capital flowing to names that are already translating AI demand into visible revenue growth, order strength, and profit expansion. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Cumulative YTD Change in Consensus 2027 EPS Estimates AI infrastructure and energy are carrying the bulk of S&P 500 EPS revisions, while the rest of the market is barely moving. Strip those sectors out and 2027 estimates are flat year to date. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Cumulative Change in Consensus 2026 EPS Estimates AI infrastructure stocks have seen 2026 earnings estimates jump 55% since December 2024, versus just 7% for the broader S&P 500. Strip them out and earnings fall 1%. The concentration risk is obvious. Image: Real Investment Advice
Consensus Hyperscaler Capex Estimates Hyperscaler capex is on track to reach $914 billion by 2028. At that scale, this no longer looks like a typical tech cycle. It starts to resemble a structural shift that reshapes the entire landscape. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Consensus Forward 12-Month S&P 500 EPS Strong Q1 earnings have helped propel the S&P 500 higher this year, boosting investor confidence and supporting higher valuations. Earnings strength still sets the tone. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Earnings Growth – Consensus vs. Historical Norms Historically, S&P 500 earnings have risen 6.5% annually. The 18.6% call for 2026 is more than twice that rate, and forecasts for 2027 still around 16%. That kind of optimism tends to look compelling right up until it doesn’t. Image: Real Investment Advice
Share of S&P 500 Company Quarter-Ahead EPS Guidance Above Consensus Estimates Strong earnings and confident forecasts are keeping corporate America bullish on near-term profits, adding fuel to already rich valuations. As long as companies deliver, investors are willing to look past rich pricing. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Typical Path of S&P 500 Bottom-Up Consensus EPS Estimate Analysts usually trim EPS estimates in the first four months of the year. Not this time. In 2026, revisions are heading higher, fueled by AI optimism and backed by confident management guidance. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research