S&P 500 Set for Sharpest Quarterly Profit Growth in Four Years

Analysts have sharply raised their expectations for first-quarter S&P 500 earnings, now forecasting a 27.8% profit increase-the strongest quarterly growth since the fourth quarter of 2021.

That is up significantly from last week's forecast of 16.1% and a month-ago estimate of 14.4%, according to LSEG IBES data.

The upgrade follows a blockbuster week of earnings from the biggest names in tech. Apple reported its strongest quarterly sales growth in more than four years, capping a busy reporting period that included results from Alphabet, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft.

These megacap results, combined with elevated oil prices and continued geopolitical tensions with Iran, have reshaped the outlook for the broader market.