
Earnings Overview - The third quarter earnings season has commenced with major Wall Street banks reporting results, with analysts expecting a 7.9% increase in earnings per share for S&P 500 companies, marking the ninth consecutive quarter of positive earnings growth but a slowdown from the 12% growth in Q2 [1][21][22] Major Bank Results - JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Citigroup, and BlackRock are among the first to report their earnings, with additional reports from Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, and others following [2][3] - Citigroup's Q3 results showed a 17% increase in dealmaking fees, with total revenue growing by 9% to $22.1 billion and net income rising to $3.8 billion, or $1.86 per diluted share [9][10] - Wells Fargo reported results that exceeded analysts' expectations, leading to a stock increase of over 2% in premarket trading [16] Sector Highlights - Bank of America noted strong fee improvements in Q3, contributing to overall profitability [5] - ASML's orders exceeded estimates due to an AI investment boom, although it warned of a significant drop in Chinese demand next year [7] - Johnson & Johnson raised its 2025 sales forecast by approximately $300 million, reporting adjusted earnings per share of $2.80, surpassing estimates [12][14] Market Trends - The earnings season is expected to show that most S&P 500 companies will likely report earnings that exceed estimates, with a potential actual growth rate of 13% anticipated [21][22][23] - The performance of major banks is closely tied to market conditions, with concerns about a potential market pullback impacting future earnings [15]