US Equity Indices Remain Stuck in the 'Tariff Scare' Range

Earnings Season Performance - 86% of companies beat earnings expectations, which is in line with the average [3] - Strong results are seen across the board, but big upside moves are not necessarily observed, suggesting multiples may have reached a point where they can't push much higher [4] - Earnings have been a key reason for market resilience, with upward revisions of earnings estimates increasing profit estimates and providing an environment for multiple expansion [1] - Multiples tend to decrease when estimates are cut, indicating that valuations can remain high as long as numbers continue to be revised upwards [2] Bond Market and Economic Signals - Ten-year Treasury yields are below 4%, raising questions about whether the bond market is signaling concerns about equity and credit or reflecting expectations of quantitative easing or contained inflation [5][6] - The context of why the ten-year yield is falling is crucial; a falling yield due to a bad economic scenario implies lower earnings and valuations, while a falling yield due to an aggressive Fed or reduced Treasury issuance could still be beneficial for risk assets [8][9] - Fed GDP now is at 39% [5] Market Concentration and Potential Catalysts - The U S represents 30% of the global stock market, almost 50% now [10] - Concentration risk has been a topic for over a year, and past peaks of concentration (Nifty 50, tech bubble) were followed by lost decades of returns for equities [11][12] - A catalyst is needed for the concentration to unwind, and earnings growth of the "Magnificent Seven" is identified as a potential catalyst [12]