S&P 500 Earnings Season Update: April 16, 2021

At this point in time, more S&P 500 companies are beating EPS estimates for the first quarter than average, and beating EPS estimates by a wider margin than average. As a result, the index is reporting higher earnings for the first quarter today relative to the end of last week and relative to the end of the first quarter. The index is now reporting the highest year-over-year growth in earnings since Q3 2010 for Q1. Analysts also expect double-digit earnings growth for the remaining three quarters of 2021. These above-average growth rates are due to a combination of higher earnings for 2021 and an easier comparison to weaker earnings in 2020 due to the negative impact of COVID-19 on numerous industries.