NASDAQ 100 FORECAST: BULLISH
- The Nasdaq[1] 100 index pulled back from record levels as earnings season arrives
- Investors are anticipating a 64% YoY earnings growth rate for the broader market
- IBM, Netflix, Intel and Twitter results are in focus this week. What will markets look for?
A slew of upbeat bank results kicked off a robust Q2 earnings season, sending the Dow Jones[2], S&P 500[3] and Nasdaq 100 indices to record highs. 22 S&P 500 companies have reported results so far. Among them, 21 have beaten the Street’s forecasts with an average earnings surprise of +19%.
According to Factset, the S&P 500 is expected to deliver an earnings growth rate of 64% YoY for the second quarter, marking the best season in over a decade. The actual growth rate could be even higher as the majority of corporate America tends to give conservative EPS forecasts and deliver positive surprises.Higher EPS readings may effectively bring down the price-to-earnings (PE) ratio for major US indices, paving the way for them to drive deeper into record territory.
Big tech firms will start to release their results this week, with IBM, Netflix, Intel and Twitter in focus. Here is a brief preview.
Major Tech Earnings EPS Forecast – Week 19-23 July
Source: Bloomberg, DailyFX
IBM:
- EPS of $2.275 and revenue of $18.26 billion expected for Q2
- The global trend toward digitalization is expected to drive the Cloud and Cognitive Software segment, which has already grown 4% in the first quarter.
- The acquisition of Red Hat is likely to contribute to cloud revenues too
- The Global Business Services segment may benefit from rising client investment in digital technologies
- The departure of Jim Whitehurst, IBM’s former president, may be a
