Nasdaq 100 Rally Powers on Amidst Strong Earnings

 | May 16, 2023 12:35AM ET

  • A stronger-than-expected earnings season is supporting the risk-sensitive growth stocks that make up the Nasdaq 100.
  • The index remains in a well-defined uptrend, with room for a continuation toward the 1-year highs near 13,700 in the coming days.
  • At this point, only a reversal back below the 50-day EMA and previous-resistance-turned-support around 12,800 would erase the current bullish bias.
  • As we enter arguably the last major week of earnings season, there’s no denying it: US corporations have, by and large, performed better than most analysts were expecting.

    According to the earnings mavens at FactSet, with 92% of S&P 500 companies’ results in the books, 78% have beaten earnings estimates, above the 10-year average of 73%, and 75% of S&P 500 companies have beaten analysts’ revenue estimates (vs. the 10-year average of 63%). These numbers are even more pronounced outside of the financial sector, which has been hit by tightening lending standards and a rising cost of capital amidst on the ongoing “bank walk.”