Earnings Surprises of S&P 500 Companies Earnings season is repeating the same refrain: corporate profits are still resilient. 64% of S&P 500 companies have beaten Q2 estimates by at least one standard deviation, while only 8% have missed. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Valuation – Shiller Cyclically-Adjusted S&P 500 Price-to-Earnings Ratio On the Shiller CAPE, U.S. stocks are back in the stratosphere, the kind that thrills investors on the way up and has a habit of burning them on the way down. Levels like this have a track record of slimmer returns and higher risk. Image: Goldman Sachs…
Semiconductor Earnings vs. Hyperscaler Free Cash Flows Semiconductor earnings are riding the AI capex wave, but hyperscaler free cash flow is taking a hit as spending on chips, data centers, and networking accelerates. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 vs. Russell 2000 – YTD Change in Price, Earnings, and Valuation The S&P 500’s year-to-date total return has been driven entirely by earnings growth, while the Russell 2000’s advance has come roughly half from multiple expansion and half from earnings growth. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Global Share Buyback Announcements Global share buybacks show no signs of slowing, as steady earnings keep the pipeline full. For shareholders, that’s a supportive backdrop, and unless profits falter, the momentum looks durable. Image: J.P. Morgan Flows & Liquidity
Hyperscalers Realized Year/Year Growth – Earnings vs. Free Cash Flow While hyperscalers are still delivering steady earnings, their free cash flow growth has sharply cooled, and that gap could prove costly, since stock performance has often mirrored free cash flow trends closely. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Share of Russell 3000 Firms Discussing Layoffs During Quarterly Earnings Calls You won’t hear much about layoffs on earnings calls these days, a hint that management still sees blue skies for growth. Talk of job cuts usually comes when profit margins start to thin. For now, steady headcount says it all. Image: Goldman Sachs Global…
World Technology Earnings Driven by innovation and a digital‑first economy, tech earnings continue to outpace global peers, with momentum still running strong. Digital transformation remains a powerful growth engine. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
S&P 500 Earnings Revision Breadth The relationship isn’t perfect, but S&P 500 EPS revision breadth has often led market moves, showing a strong historical link with the index’s six‑month trailing returns. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research
Global Stocks – MSCI AC World Local Index Citigroup strategists are betting on a 10% rise in global equities this year, backed by a gentle economic slowdown, stronger earnings forecasts, and fresh AI tailwinds. Image: Bloomberg
Top-Down Estimates of Earnings per Share Growth (S&P 500, STOXX 600, TOPIX, MXAPJ) After years of rallies fueled by soaring multiples, especially in tech and AI sectors, 2026 could see fundamentals take the lead. Image: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research