The busiest week of earnings season should continue to trend of outperforming estimates. The solid U.S. GDP report increases the probability that earnings growth should trough this quarter. The July jobs report on Friday should be closely watched with implications for future Fed actions.

The headline earnings decline worsened, but the details were more supportive for stocks. This week will be the second busiest of this earnings season. The Federal Reserve meeting on Wednesday will be closely watched despite the outcome being almost preordained.

While the better than expected big bank earnings was a positive, the friendly inflation readings were the real boost to markets with the last rate increase from the Fed now expected in July. This week a more diverse group of companies reports earnings, so it will be instructive to see if the earning…

The expectations of a sharp earnings decline seem likely to be exceeded, but more attention should be paid to future earnings guidance. With consensus expecting this reporting period to be the earnings trough, there is a risk if more earnings forecast cuts are needed. With the plunge in oil prices,…

All 23 banks passed the Fed’s stress tests which examined whether the banks could withstand a severe recession and significant turmoil in office real estate loans. While valuations and the year-to-date declines make banks enticing on the surface, several risks should provide pause for investors.