Earnings season is here, and there's one big wild card

Group 1 - The earnings season is led by major banks, starting with JPMorgan, followed by Bank of America, Citi, Goldman Sachs, and Morgan Stanley [1][2] - Banks are crucial to the economy due to their lending and dealmaking capabilities, making their earnings reports significant for understanding broader economic trends [2] - The year-end earnings reports will reflect on a volatile first half of 2025, with stocks, including banks, reaching record highs despite concerns about an AI bubble [4] Group 2 - President Trump is focusing on affordability, which may impact various sectors, including the defense sector and institutional investors in residential housing [5][6] - The potential for Trump's affordability agenda could be beneficial for banks, as a healthy consumer environment typically supports their business [6] - Other industries should remain vigilant as they may become targets of Trump's affordability initiatives, regardless of their direct relevance to the issues he addresses [7]