Stocks rallied late last week as the S&P 500, Dow, and NASDAQ all closed at record highs on Thursday for the first time since New Year’s Eve 1999. The NASDAQ also notched a seventh week of gains, its longest winning streak since 2012. For the week, the S&P 500 gained 0.05%, the Dow grew 0.18%, the NASDAQ added 0.23%, and the MSCI EAFE grew 2.73%.
Earnings season is mostly behind us, and, with nearly all of the S&P 500 companies having reported in, we have a good overall picture of last quarter’s performance. Total earnings for the index so far were down 3.7% on -0.7% lower revenues relative to Q2 2015. However, 71.1% have managed to beat profit expectations, which has given stocks a boost in recent weeks.
Here’s what we can take away from the second quarter:
Though earnings growth is still negative, it’s a vast improvement over what we saw in the first quarter from the same group of companies. Results are also better than the 4-quarter moving average. Revenue growth is also negative, showing that many companies are still (seven-plus years into the economic recovery) struggling with slow demand.
The energy sector is still bringing down overall earnings. Excluding Energy, earnings for remaining S&P 500 companies would be slightly up 0.1% on 2.4% higher revenues.
Third quarter earnings growth estimates are steadily coming down, indicating that business leaders are not expecting standout performance. Are companies sandbagging expectations to improve the odds of a positive surprise? That’s highly possible. However, we’re not expecting to see meaningful growth pick up this quarter.
Next week, we’ll get a look at notes from the last Federal Reserve Open Market Committee meeting. We’ll analyze these meeting minutes to get a sense of what the Fed is thinking about the economy and see how different members of the committee are voting. The rest of the week is also full of important economic releases, which could stoke volatility if we see any surprises. When markets experience a sustained rally over a period of weeks, it’s not surprising when investors pause for a breather to reevaluate the data.
Have questions about how all of this data impacts your portfolio as an investor? We’d love to chat with you. Feel free to leave a comment below or reach out to us at hello@hzcapital.com if there is anything you’re curious about. As always, our goal is to make sure you’re informed on the latest economic updates.
ECONOMIC CALENDAR:
Monday: Empire State Manufacturing Survey, Housing Market Index, Treasury International Capital
Tuesday: Consumer Price Index, Housing Starts, Industrial Production
Wednesday: EIA Petroleum Status Report, FOMC Minutes
Thursday: Jobless Claims, Philadelphia Fed Business Outlook Survey
HEADLINES:
Consumer sentiment increases in August. A measure of American optimism about the economy increased this month, hopefully supporting future consumer spending.
Retail sales remain flat in July. Sales of retail goods remained surprisingly unchanged last month as Americans cut back on purchases, moderating expectations of a surge in consumer spending this quarter.
Business inventories rise slightly in June. Business stockpiles edged higher in June as sales surged, suggesting U.S. firms are having an easier time moving products off shelves.
Job openings edge higher in June. The number of available jobs rose slightly over May, suggesting moderate growth. An increased number of factory job postings could indicate movement in the manufacturing sector.
