Second-quarter earnings reporting season gets underway in the week ahead and eye-popping results could validate a market that continues to easily shake off any concerns on its steady march to record high after record high.
The second quarter’s profits for S&P 500 companies are expected to be up 65% from the same quarter a year ago in the depths of the pandemic, according to Refinitiv. The growth will be led by a near 570% increase in profits for industrials, one of the hardest hit sectors during the pandemic.
“The second quarter could be as good as it gets for economic growth,” said Callie Bost, senior investment strategist at Ally Invest. “Earnings growth may slow, but analysts still expect S&P profits to grow by double digits in the next two quarters. It’s crucial not to lose faith in the market just because the economy’s strongest growth may be behind us.”
The S&P 500 climbed to yet another record on Friday following a minor setback on Thursday. Banks and other stocks linked to an economic comeback led the way. Friday’s gain pushed the benchmark into the green for the week and brought its 2021 gain to above 16%.
The financial sector starts the earnings season off with reports from JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs Tuesday. Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo report Wednesday, and Morgan Stanley and Truist report Thursday.
The banking industry is expected to produce blowout results for the second quarter with S&P 500 financial sector earnings doubling year over year, according to Refinitiv. Major banks recently announced they will boost their dividend payouts after the Federal Reserve gave lenders a thumbs-up as all 23 passed the central bank’s stress test.
Bank stocks led Thursday’s sell-off on Wall Street as some investors took bets off in the face of a surprising drop in Treasury yields. They then immediately snapped back Friday. Strong earnings result could help stabilize the sector that gyrated amid intensifying worries about slowing growth.
