Market Performance - The S&P 500 has achieved five consecutive record closes, resulting in a total rally of 28% since its low on April 8, marking the second-fastest recovery from a 19%+ drawdown in the last 75 years [1] - The index's recovery has formed a textbook V-shape in the 2025 chart [1] Earnings Expectations - A synchronized V-shaped recovery in earnings expectations is observed, with a significant increase in the ratio of companies raising forecasts compared to those lowering them, aligning with the rise in the S&P 500 [2] - The Q2 earnings season shows a positive trend, with a higher-than-average proportion of companies beating consensus estimates, supported by a stabilizing macroeconomic backdrop [3] Earnings Growth - For the 117 S&P 500 companies that reported Q2 results, total earnings increased by 8.3% year-over-year, with revenues up by 5.3%, and 87.2% of these companies beat EPS estimates while 80.3% exceeded revenue estimates [4] - The percentage of companies beating EPS and revenue estimates is above historical averages, with Q2 EPS beats at 87.2% compared to a 20-quarter average of 81.9% and revenue beats at 80.3% versus 70% [5] Long-Term Outlook - Since July, Q3 earnings estimates have risen for half of the 16 Zacks sectors, including Finance, Tech, Consumer Discretionary, Autos, and Energy, with expectations for earnings growth in the latter half of 2025 and into 2026 increasing [6] - Analysts project a 13.9% growth in earnings for 2026, a slight increase from the previous forecast of 13.8% [6] Valuation Concerns - The S&P 500 is currently trading at 22.4 times next year's earnings, above its five-year average of 19.9X and ten-year average of 18.4X, yet corporate profitability remains strong, mitigating concerns over high valuations [8] Investment Options - Investors may consider tracking S&P 500-based ETFs such as Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), iShares Core S&P 500 ETF (IVV), and SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) [9] - For growth exposure, SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Growth ETF (SPYG) is recommended, while SPDR Portfolio S&P 500 Value ETF (SPYV) caters to value investors [10]

Company Overview - Proactive is a financial news publisher that provides fast, accessible, informative, and actionable business and finance news content to a global investment audience [2] - The company has a team of experienced and qualified news journalists who produce independent content [2] Market Focus - Proactive specializes in medium and small-cap markets while also covering blue-chip companies, commodities, and broader investment stories [3] - The content includes insights across various sectors such as biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto, and emerging digital and EV technologies [3] Technology Adoption - Proactive is recognized for its forward-looking approach and enthusiastic adoption of technology to enhance workflows [4] - The company utilizes automation and software tools, including generative AI, while ensuring that all content is edited and authored by humans [5]

About this content About Emily Jarvie The team delivers news and unique insights across the market including but not confined to: biotech and pharma, mining and natural resources, battery metals, oil and gas, crypto and emerging digital and EV technologies. Use of technology Proactive has always been a forward looking and enthusiastic technology adopter. Our human content creators are equipped with many decades of valuable expertise and experience. The team also has access to and use technologies to assist ...