If we’re in a growth recession, the upcoming earnings season is going to be wild

If we’re in a growth recession, the upcoming earnings season is going to be wild

Right now economists are projecting that the U.S. economy didn’t slip into a recession in the second quarter that ended on June 30. But those same forecasts are looking for a further slowdown in economic growth in the quarter.

On July 3 the GDPNow forecast from the Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank put second quarter growth at an adjusted annual rate of 1.9%. That’s down from the model’s 2.2% forecast on Jone 30. And that rate of growth would be a further deceleration from the 2.0% growth rate (that was an upward revision from a first estimate of just a 1.3% growth rate) in the first quarter and the 2.6% growth in the fourth quarter of 2020. The very recent downward revision in the GDPNow forecast is a result of a drop in private domestic investment growth to 8.8% from 10.4%.So now recession–good news–but a further slowdown in the economy–expected with the Federal Reserve raising interest rates. And a continued drop in company profits.

First quarter earnings far: Bad but not as bad as feared

First quarter earnings far: Bad but not as bad as feared

When is a 4.5% year-over-year drop in earnings for the stocks in the Standard & Poor’s 500 good news? When the forecast for first-quarter earnings projected a 6.8% drop. Bloomberg now projects, with 74% of the companies in the S&P 500 reporting first-quarter results, that earnings for the stocks in the index will be down 4.5% year over year this quarter.

Netflix misses, badly, on subscribers in the first quarter

Netflix misses, badly, on subscribers in the first quarter

Last night after the market close, Netflix (NFLX) reported first-quarter 2023 results that showed new subscribers grew by just 1.75 million in the first quarter against expectations for 2.3 million additions. Earnings and revenue projections disappointed investors: Netflix said it anticipates earning $2.84 per share on $8.24 billion in the second quarter. Wall Street analysts had forecast earnings of $3.05 per share on $8.5 billion in revenue. For the first quarter, revenue and earnings for the first quarter roughly matched Wall Street consensus estimates. Revenue was $8.16 billion versus an expected $8.18 billion. Earnings per share were $2.88 versus $2.86 expected Today, April 19, shares of Netflix were down 3.34% as of noon New York time.

Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the week ahead…

Saturday Night Quarterback says, For the week ahead…

I expect the earnings season story for the coming week to continue to be dominated by banks. But whereas last week, Friday specifically, was all about big banks, this coming week will be dominated by earnings reports from regional and smaller banks. That’s the very kind of banks that are the focus of worry about the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. We will, however, get a sprinkle of earnings reports from non-bank names just to add some spice to the week.

Bookkeeping: I added NVDA, MSFT, and Adobe to my Volatility Portfolio on March 24

Bookkeeping: I added NVDA, MSFT, and Adobe to my Volatility Portfolio on March 24

In Step #3 of my Special Report: 5 Moves for the Next 5 Months, on March 24 I added three Big Tech stocks–Microsoft (MSFT), Adobe (ADBE), and Nvidia (NVDA) to my Volatility Portfolio ahead of earnings season. My theory, explained in that post was that we were facing a tough earnings season for most stocks and that reliable earnings growth from Big Tech would make those stocks look like a safe haven in a period when the Standard & Poor’s 500 as a whole was projected to show a drop in earnings. (I also owned up to my mistake in selling Nvidia back on February 16. That was just wrong. More on why I was wrong and why I’ve changed my mind on that in a post tomorrow or so.)

Netflix misses, badly, on subscribers in the first quarter

Will Netflix earnings on Thursday shock the market?

Right now Wall Street analysts project that on Thursday, January 19, Netflix (NFLX) will report earnings of just 44 cents a share for the fourth quarter of 2022. That would be a huge drop from the $1.33 the company reported in the fourth quarter of 2021. If Netflix reports as expected, will the stock market shudder lower? After all, the Netflix results would be very similar to the negative reports from the big banks so far this earnings season. And it might foreshadow disappointing earnings from the technology companies that began reporting on January 24 with Microsoft (MSFT). Probably not. Although I think it should.

3 Retail Stocks Say Bah, Humbug to Christmas Sales

Disappointing holiday sales and margin pressures. Not a good combination for any stock. And today shares of Macy’s (M), down 6.39% as of 2 p.m. New York time; Lululemon (LULU, down 9.01%, and Chico’s FAS (CHS) down 9.41% are paying the price for disappointing Wall Street.

Please watch my new YouTube video: Earnings Not as Bad as They Could Be

Please watch my new YouTube video: Earnings Not as Bad as They Could Be

My one-hundred-and-sixty-second YouTube video “Earnings Not as Bad as They Could Be” went up today. Microsoft (MSFT) serves as my example. We’re seeing some companies that, despite very meager earnings growth, give investors the impression that things “are not as bad as they could be.” These stocks will see bumps after upcoming earnings reports. Is this a long-term trend? Is it enough to keep the Bear Market rally going? Not necessarily. But it supports stocks for now.