A look at how S&P 500 companies performed in the latest earnings season

  • Nearly three-quarters of S&P 500 companies beat Wall Street’s expectations in Q4
  • Communication services, consumer discretionary, utilities, and information technology sectors led in earnings growth
  • Energy, materials, healthcare, and financials saw their profits decline
  • Real estate companies reported the highest revenue growth, while energy companies reported the largest decline
  • Some companies exceeded earnings expectations by a large margin, while others fell short
  • Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to post positive earnings growth for Q1 2024 and the full year
  • Energy and materials sectors are expected to make less profit this year
  • Many companies have issued lower earnings guidance for Q1 and the full year
  • The stock market is trading at a higher valuation compared to its historical averages
  • Energy and utility stocks are currently trading at a lower valuation compared to their historical averages
  • Wall Street analysts expect the S&P 500 index to grow 10% in the next 12 months

Nearly three-quarters of S&P 500 companies beat Wall Street’s expectations in the fourth quarter, with communication services, consumer discretionary, utilities, and information technology sectors leading in earnings growth. However, energy, materials, healthcare, and financials saw their profits decline. Real estate companies reported the highest revenue growth, while energy companies reported the largest decline. Some companies exceeded earnings expectations by a large margin, while others fell short. Analysts expect S&P 500 companies to post positive earnings growth for the first quarter of 2024 and the full year, except for the energy and materials sectors. Many companies have issued lower earnings guidance for the first quarter and the full year. The stock market is trading at a higher valuation compared to its historical averages, but energy and utility stocks are currently trading at a lower valuation. Wall Street analysts expect the S&P 500 index to grow 10% in the next 12 months.

Factuality Level: 7
Factuality Justification: The article provides a detailed overview of the fourth-quarter earnings of S&P 500 companies, including sectors that performed well and those that saw declines. It also includes information on revenue growth, companies that beat or missed earnings expectations, and analysts’ expectations for future earnings. The article is based on data from FactSet and provides a balanced view of the financial performance of companies.
Noise Level: 3
Noise Justification: The article provides a detailed analysis of the fourth-quarter earnings of S&P 500 companies, including sectors that outperformed and underperformed. It also discusses revenue growth, companies that beat or missed earnings expectations, and future earnings projections. The article is focused, data-driven, and provides valuable insights for investors.
Financial Relevance: Yes
Financial Markets Impacted: The article provides information on the fourth-quarter earnings of S&P 500 companies, which can impact financial markets and investor sentiment.
Presence Of Extreme Event: No
Nature Of Extreme Event: No
Impact Rating Of The Extreme Event: No
Rating Justification: The article discusses the financial performance of S&P 500 companies, which is relevant to financial markets and investors.
Public Companies: Meta Platforms (META), Amazon.com (AMZN), Pfizer (PFE), Merck (MRK), Illumina (ILMN), Uber Technologies (UBER), Southwest Airlines (LUV), American Airlines (AAL), Fox Corp. (FOX), Corteva (CTVA), Ford Motor (F), Insulet (PODD), Clorox (CLX), Citigroup (C), Truist Financial (TFC), Discover Financial Services (DFS), Hasbro (HAS), WestRock (WRK), Citizens Financial (CFG), Bank of New York Mellon (BK), Comerica (CMA), Humana (HUM), Airbnb (ABNB)
Key People: Angela Weiss (Unknown)


Reported publicly: www.marketwatch.com