A Closer Look at the Evolving Earnings Picture

Group 1 - The quarterly reports from Pepsi and Delta Airlines, among others, will contribute to the September-quarter earnings tally for the S&P 500 index [1] - Q3 earnings for the S&P 500 are expected to increase by +5.4% year-over-year, with revenues up by +6.1%, marking the lowest earnings growth since Q3 2023 if actual growth aligns with expectations [2][8] - Positive revisions in earnings estimates have been noted for Q3 and Q4, with 7 of the 16 Zacks sectors seeing increased estimates for Q4 [3][5][7] Group 2 - Pepsi is expected to report earnings of $2.27 per share on revenues of $23.88 billion, reflecting a year-over-year decline of -1.7% in earnings and an increase of +2.4% in revenues [12] - Delta Airlines is projected to report earnings of $1.60 per share on revenues of $15.93 billion, indicating a year-over-year increase of +6.7% in earnings and +1.6% in revenues [15] - Year-to-date, Pepsi shares are down -6.1%, while Delta shares have decreased by -5.2%, both lagging behind broader market gains [13][16] Group 3 - Among the 19 S&P 500 members that reported results for fiscal quarters ending in August, total earnings increased by +11.9% year-over-year, with 73.7% beating EPS estimates [17] - The overall earnings picture for the S&P 500 index shows expected EPS growth rates of $258.12 for 2025 and $290.98 for 2026 [25]