As the markets’ muted reaction to higher-than-expected inflation rates has indicated, the Fed appears to have done a great job in convincing investors, and perhaps themselves, that signs of persistently higher inflation will be fleeting, or in the Fed’s current parlance that has the feel of being a potential punchline in economic history, “transitory.” (One can’t help but wonder whether the “WIN” buttons from the 1970s (Whip Inflation Now) may somehow be reincarnated.) To the exten… View More
87.5% of Companies Beat Earnings Estimates in 1Q’21 With 99% of the S&P 500 having reported, it’s fair to say that 1Q’21 was a blowout season for earnings. 87.5% of companies beat their earnings estimates for the quarter, a record high going back to the mid-1990s and well above the long-term historical average of 65%. 2021 EPS Growth Revising Up, 2022 Revising Down The S&P 500’s 2021 estimated EPS growth began the year at 23.3% and, with the help of robust earnings numbers fro… View More
Stimulus-boosted demand is still outpacing supply. The Atlanta Fed’s tracking estimate for U.S. 2Q real GDP is at 9.3% q/q annualized. Consumption should shift from goods to services over the next several quarters (pent-up demand). In the meantime we have inflation. U.S. core PCE inflation was 3.1% y/y in April. Central bankers have labeled price moves as transitory, but this position is likely to be challenged in the near-term given continued bottlenecks. U of Michigan surveys of inflation ex… View More
Philip Lane, the ECB’s chief economist, said last week that "we have a lot of work to do (to raise inflation) … This narrative of a new inflation environment, I just put very little weight on it" (Reuters). Global central bankers are sticking by their models. But this is likely to get more difficult as the year progresses. The duration & composition of inflation (rather than the number we pop up to) is important for monetary policymakers. But different data may matter for investors (espe… View More
With 90% Reported Earnings Growth Still Greater Than 50% For 1Q With 90% of S&P 500 companies reporting earnings thus far, earning growth for 1Q is still expected to be greater than 50%, while revenue growth is near 13%. We do not anticipate any material changes this upcoming week and expect most investors to begin thinking about 2Q and beyond. 2Q Earnings Growth Expected To Be Just As Strong Currently, the second-quarter earnings season is expected to see earnings growth just as strong a… View More