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Note: The following is an excerpt from this week’sEarnings Trends report. You can access the full report that contains detailed historical actual and estimates for the current and following periods, please click here>>>
Here are the key points:
• Q2 results show all-around strength, with very pronounced momentum on the revenues front.
• Total earnings for the 147 S&P 500 members that have reported Q2 results are up +23.3% on +9.1% higher revenues. The proportion of these companies beating EPS and revenue estimates is tracking above other recent periods, with revenue beats at this stage tracking 15 percentage points above the trailing 12-qurater average.
• Total earnings for the 40.9% market cap of the Tech sector that has reported already are up +35.3% on +9.9% higher revenues, with 93.8% beating EPS estimates and 81.3% beating revenue estimates.
• Total earnings for the 57.9% market cap of the Finance sector that has reported already are up +21.8% on +6.5% higher revenues, with 78.4% beating EPS estimates and 70.3% beating revenue estimates.
• With results from more than four-fifths of the sector’s total market cap in the S&P 500 index out, the Transportation sector is onto a strong showing, with +24.6% and +9.7% earnings and revenue growth and all the companies beating EPS and revenue estimates.
• For the S&P 500 index as a whole, total Q2 earnings are expected to be up +22.3% from the same period last year on +8.4% higher revenues, with 12 of the 16 Zacks sectors expected to have double-digit earnings growth.
• Tech sector earnings are expected to be up +28.7% on +11.6% higher revenues, which would follow +31.1% earnings growth on +13.1% revenue growth in Q1. Finance sector earnings are expected to be up +24.1% from the same period last year on +4.4% higher revenues.
• Other major sectors with strong expected growth in Q2 include Energy (+138.9% earnings growth), Basic Materials (+53.1%), Industrial Products (+28%) and Retail (+18.4%). The Autos and Conglomerates sectors are the only ones expected to have lower Q2 earnings compared to the year-earlier level.
• For the small-cap S&P 600 index, we have Q2 results from 95 companies or only 15.8% of the index’s total membership. Total earnings for these companies are up +22.2% from the same period last year on +14.2% higher revenues, with 74.4% beating EPS estimates and 72.6% beating revenue estimates. This is a better performance than we have seen from the same group of 95 companies in other recent periods.
• For the small-cap S&P 600 index, total Q2 earnings are expected to be up +28.7% on +8.4% higher revenues, which would follow +24.2% earnings growth on +8.6% revenue growth in 2018 Q1.
• For full-year 2018, total earnings for the S&P 500 index are expected to be up +20.4% on +6.2% higher revenues. For full-years 2019 and 2020, total earnings are expected to be up +9.9% and +9.6%, respectively. Revenues for the index are expected to be increase by +4.8% in 2019, and +4.5% in 2020.
• The implied ‘EPS’ for the index, calculated using current 2018 P/E of 17.6X and index close, as of July 24th, is $156.71. Using the same methodology, the index ‘EPS’ works out to $172.15 for 2019 (P/E of 16X) and $188.77 for 2020 (P/E of 14.6X). The multiples for 2018, 2019 and 2020 have been calculated using the index’s total market cap and aggregate bottom-up earnings for each year.
Q2 earnings season Scorecard (as of July 25th, 2018)
Total earnings for the 147 index members that combined account for 40.9% of the index’s total market cap have reported Q2 results are up +23.3% on +9.1% higher revenues, with 83.7% beating EPS estimates and 74.8% beating revenue estimates.
This is a very strong showing from these 147 S&P 500 members relative to other recent periods, particularly with respect to the proportion of positive EPS and revenue surprises, as the comparison charts below show.
Plenty of Tech sector results are still awaited, but the results that have come out already (25.4% of the sector’s companies in the S&P 500 index that combined account for 46% of the sector’s market cap have reported already) show strong growth and momentum.
The roughly doubling of Alphabet’s (GOOGL - Free Report) earnings on more than +25% top-line growth. Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) earnings are up +14.4% from the same period last year on +21.8% higher revenues. These and other results provide a good set up for the coming Tech sector results.
Total Tech sector earnings at this stage are up +35.3% on +9.9% higher revenues, with 93.8% beating EPS estimates and 81.3% beating revenue estimates. The growth pace and the proportion of these Tech companies beating estimates is tracking above what we had seen from the same companies in other recent periods.
Q2 Expectations as a Whole
Combining the actual results from the 147 index members with estimates for the still-to-come 353 companies, total Q2 earnings are expected to be up +22.3% from the same period last year on +8.4% higher revenues, with double-digit earnings growth for 12 of the 16 Zacks sectors, including Finance and Technology. This would be the 3rd quarter in a row of double-digit earnings growth for the index, a trend that is currently expected to continue in the second half of the year as well.
Energy sector earnings are expected to more than double from the year-earlier level, up +138.9%. Excluding the Energy sector, Total Q2 earnings for the rest of the index would be up +19%.
The chart below contrasts the expected Q2 earnings growth rate with what was actually achieved in the last 5 quarters and what is expected in the coming four periods.
As you can see, the growth picture remains very strong, even though it is expected to decelerate from Q1’s lofty level. The chart below shows the same data on a trailing 4-quarter basis, which tends to smooth out the quarter-to-quarter fluctuations to a large extent.
The smoother growth trend of the above chart shows that the growth rate will continue to gain pace through the end of this year and start decelerating from that point onwards.
But more important than the growth rate is the trend on revisions front, which turned out to be underwhelming ahead of the start of the Q2 earnings, particularly relative to what we experienced in the comparable period in the Q1 earnings season. We will see if this trend will continue with Q3 estimates as companies report Q2 results and share trends in their businesses.
Given the ongoing strength in the U.S. dollar, questions about the global economy and all-around trade uncertainty, it is possible that estimates for Q3 and beyond come down in the coming days.
Note: Sheraz Mian manages the Zacks equity research department. He is an acknowledged earnings expert whose commentaries and analyses appear on Zacks.com and in the print and electronic media. His weekly earnings related articles include Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview. He manages the Zacks Top 10 and Focus List portfolios and writes the Weekly Market Analysis article for Zacks Premium subscribers.
The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All
Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.
Image: Bigstock
Q2 Results Show Strong Revenue Momentum
Note: The following is an excerpt from this week’sEarnings Trends report. You can access the full report that contains detailed historical actual and estimates for the current and following periods, please click here>>>
Here are the key points:
• Q2 results show all-around strength, with very pronounced momentum on the revenues front.
• Total earnings for the 147 S&P 500 members that have reported Q2 results are up +23.3% on +9.1% higher revenues. The proportion of these companies beating EPS and revenue estimates is tracking above other recent periods, with revenue beats at this stage tracking 15 percentage points above the trailing 12-qurater average.
• Total earnings for the 40.9% market cap of the Tech sector that has reported already are up +35.3% on +9.9% higher revenues, with 93.8% beating EPS estimates and 81.3% beating revenue estimates.
• Total earnings for the 57.9% market cap of the Finance sector that has reported already are up +21.8% on +6.5% higher revenues, with 78.4% beating EPS estimates and 70.3% beating revenue estimates.
• With results from more than four-fifths of the sector’s total market cap in the S&P 500 index out, the Transportation sector is onto a strong showing, with +24.6% and +9.7% earnings and revenue growth and all the companies beating EPS and revenue estimates.
• For the S&P 500 index as a whole, total Q2 earnings are expected to be up +22.3% from the same period last year on +8.4% higher revenues, with 12 of the 16 Zacks sectors expected to have double-digit earnings growth.
• Tech sector earnings are expected to be up +28.7% on +11.6% higher revenues, which would follow +31.1% earnings growth on +13.1% revenue growth in Q1. Finance sector earnings are expected to be up +24.1% from the same period last year on +4.4% higher revenues.
• Other major sectors with strong expected growth in Q2 include Energy (+138.9% earnings growth), Basic Materials (+53.1%), Industrial Products (+28%) and Retail (+18.4%). The Autos and Conglomerates sectors are the only ones expected to have lower Q2 earnings compared to the year-earlier level.
• For the small-cap S&P 600 index, we have Q2 results from 95 companies or only 15.8% of the index’s total membership. Total earnings for these companies are up +22.2% from the same period last year on +14.2% higher revenues, with 74.4% beating EPS estimates and 72.6% beating revenue estimates. This is a better performance than we have seen from the same group of 95 companies in other recent periods.
• For the small-cap S&P 600 index, total Q2 earnings are expected to be up +28.7% on +8.4% higher revenues, which would follow +24.2% earnings growth on +8.6% revenue growth in 2018 Q1.
• For full-year 2018, total earnings for the S&P 500 index are expected to be up +20.4% on +6.2% higher revenues. For full-years 2019 and 2020, total earnings are expected to be up +9.9% and +9.6%, respectively. Revenues for the index are expected to be increase by +4.8% in 2019, and +4.5% in 2020.
• The implied ‘EPS’ for the index, calculated using current 2018 P/E of 17.6X and index close, as of July 24th, is $156.71. Using the same methodology, the index ‘EPS’ works out to $172.15 for 2019 (P/E of 16X) and $188.77 for 2020 (P/E of 14.6X). The multiples for 2018, 2019 and 2020 have been calculated using the index’s total market cap and aggregate bottom-up earnings for each year.
Q2 earnings season Scorecard (as of July 25th, 2018)
Total earnings for the 147 index members that combined account for 40.9% of the index’s total market cap have reported Q2 results are up +23.3% on +9.1% higher revenues, with 83.7% beating EPS estimates and 74.8% beating revenue estimates.
This is a very strong showing from these 147 S&P 500 members relative to other recent periods, particularly with respect to the proportion of positive EPS and revenue surprises, as the comparison charts below show.
Plenty of Tech sector results are still awaited, but the results that have come out already (25.4% of the sector’s companies in the S&P 500 index that combined account for 46% of the sector’s market cap have reported already) show strong growth and momentum.
The roughly doubling of Alphabet’s (GOOGL - Free Report) earnings on more than +25% top-line growth. Microsoft’s (MSFT - Free Report) earnings are up +14.4% from the same period last year on +21.8% higher revenues. These and other results provide a good set up for the coming Tech sector results.
Total Tech sector earnings at this stage are up +35.3% on +9.9% higher revenues, with 93.8% beating EPS estimates and 81.3% beating revenue estimates. The growth pace and the proportion of these Tech companies beating estimates is tracking above what we had seen from the same companies in other recent periods.
Q2 Expectations as a Whole
Combining the actual results from the 147 index members with estimates for the still-to-come 353 companies, total Q2 earnings are expected to be up +22.3% from the same period last year on +8.4% higher revenues, with double-digit earnings growth for 12 of the 16 Zacks sectors, including Finance and Technology. This would be the 3rd quarter in a row of double-digit earnings growth for the index, a trend that is currently expected to continue in the second half of the year as well.
Energy sector earnings are expected to more than double from the year-earlier level, up +138.9%. Excluding the Energy sector, Total Q2 earnings for the rest of the index would be up +19%.
The chart below contrasts the expected Q2 earnings growth rate with what was actually achieved in the last 5 quarters and what is expected in the coming four periods.
As you can see, the growth picture remains very strong, even though it is expected to decelerate from Q1’s lofty level. The chart below shows the same data on a trailing 4-quarter basis, which tends to smooth out the quarter-to-quarter fluctuations to a large extent.
The smoother growth trend of the above chart shows that the growth rate will continue to gain pace through the end of this year and start decelerating from that point onwards.
But more important than the growth rate is the trend on revisions front, which turned out to be underwhelming ahead of the start of the Q2 earnings, particularly relative to what we experienced in the comparable period in the Q1 earnings season. We will see if this trend will continue with Q3 estimates as companies report Q2 results and share trends in their businesses.
Given the ongoing strength in the U.S. dollar, questions about the global economy and all-around trade uncertainty, it is possible that estimates for Q3 and beyond come down in the coming days.
Note: Sheraz Mian manages the Zacks equity research department. He is an acknowledged earnings expert whose commentaries and analyses appear on Zacks.com and in the print and electronic media. His weekly earnings related articles include Earnings Trends and Earnings Preview. He manages the Zacks Top 10 and Focus List portfolios and writes the Weekly Market Analysis article for Zacks Premium subscribers.
The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All
Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.
See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>