Strong Start to Q2 Earnings Season: 4 Sector ETFs to Play

Core Viewpoint - The overall earnings performance of S&P 500 companies for Q2 shows continued strength and improvement, with a significant number of companies exceeding analysts' expectations and upward revisions for future projections [1]. Earnings Performance - Among the 198 S&P 500 companies that reported Q2 results, total earnings increased by 7.0% year-over-year, driven by a 5.5% rise in revenues [2]. - A notable 82.8% of these companies surpassed EPS estimates, while 79.8% exceeded revenue forecasts [2]. - The Q2 EPS beat rate of 82.8% is above the 20-quarter average of 80.1%, and the revenue beat rate of 79.8% exceeds the historical average of 69.0% [3]. Sector Analysis - Finance Sector: Companies representing 64.5% of the sector's market capitalization reported a 17.6% year-over-year increase in earnings and a 5.8% rise in revenues, with 90.0% beating EPS estimates and 76.0% exceeding revenue forecasts [5][6]. - Technology Sector: Companies accounting for 22.4% of the sector's market capitalization reported a 15.2% increase in earnings and a 10.6% rise in revenues, with 90.9% exceeding EPS estimates and 100% surpassing revenue expectations [7]. - Consumer Discretionary Sector: Q2 earnings are expected to increase by 109.7% with a 2.5% rise in revenues, while Q3 earnings are projected to grow by 1.1% year-over-year with a 2.1% increase in revenues [8]. - Aerospace Sector: Q2 earnings are expected to rise by 24.8% with an 11.5% increase in revenues, and Q3 earnings are projected to surge by 250.9% year-over-year with a 9.9% rise in revenues [9].