Wednesday, July 23, 2025Pre-market futures are up today, led by foreign auto companies — particularly those in Japan. A new trade agreement was announced that lowers tariffs on Japanese imported autos to +15% from the +27.5% recently slapped on by President Trump. Sweetening the deal is a reported $550 BILLION in investments and loans.Thus, we see this morning Toyota Motors (TM) up +14% in early trading, with Honda Motor Co. (HMC) +11%. Toyota had been saddled with a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) and Honda wi ...

Core Viewpoint - The earnings growth for S&P 500 companies in Q2 is expected to slow significantly, with a projected increase of only 5%, marking the slowest growth since Q4 2023, down from 13% in Q1 [1][2][4]. Earnings Expectations - Analysts have downgraded earnings expectations due to tariff policies and weaker economic data, with a 4% reduction in Q2 forecasts, exceeding the historical average of 3% [4]. - Among the 11 sectors, 6 are expected to see year-over-year growth, led by communication services and information technology, while 5 sectors, including energy, are projected to decline [2][6]. Early Reporting Performance - Early reporting companies have shown strong performance, with 71% exceeding EPS expectations and 81% surpassing sales expectations among the 21 S&P 500 companies that have reported [4][5]. - The current forecast suggests a slight EPS beat of 2%, reaching $64, which represents a 6% year-over-year increase [4]. Sector Analysis - Technology and communication services are expected to drive earnings growth, with a combined growth rate of 20%. Excluding these sectors, S&P 500 earnings growth is projected to be negative 3% [6]. - The growth range for the overall market is expected to be narrow, with negative growth anticipated when excluding technology and communication services [5]. Guidance Trends - Recent trends indicate an improvement in earnings guidance, with the three-month guidance ratio returning to the average level of 0.8 [9]. - Approximately 30% of S&P 500 companies provided annual EPS guidance, a significant increase from 10% during the pandemic [11]. Tariff Impact - Tariff uncertainties remain a key volatility factor, with estimates suggesting a potential 5% direct impact on S&P 500 revenues if no mitigation measures are taken [11]. - Analysts are divided on the ability of companies to pass on tariff costs, with 25% expecting price increases to cover most tariff hikes, while 21% believe companies will struggle to raise prices [11]. Key Themes for Investors - Investors are advised to focus on four key themes: capital expenditure guidance, layoffs, foreign exchange impacts, and the influence of the "Big Beautiful Bill" [12][22]. - The proportion of CEOs planning to increase capital expenditures has dropped to 28%, the lowest level since the pandemic began [12]. Foreign Exchange and Economic Indicators - A 10% depreciation of the dollar is estimated to boost S&P 500 EPS by 3%, with foreign exchange providing a 60-70 basis point benefit in Q2 [18]. - The performance of large tech companies remains strong, with significant capital expenditure growth expected to continue [15][17].