464 of S&P 500 Companies Beat Q1 Earnings Targets
A total of 464 in the S&P 500 that have declared their earnings for the first quarter of 2026 surpassed expectations, South African Oldest Bank, First National Bank (FNB) said in a brief on Friday.
Top corporate earnings and revenue performance were strong in the first three months of operations in 2026, with tech and AI stocks generally driving momentum.
The market outlook for most AI Tech giants remains robust amid geopolitical disruptions and a surge in consumer inflation, which could keep the Federal Reserve from cutting rates.
A total of 464 companies in the S&P 500 that have reported their earnings for the first quarter of 2026 exceeded expectations, according to a brief from South Africa’s oldest bank, First National Bank (FNB), released on Friday.
“In the United States, 464 out of the S&P 500 companies have reported their Q1 2026 results, with 82.03% delivering better-than-expected earnings and 73.65% surpassing revenue growth expectations,” FNB stated.
“Overall, the actual earnings reported by these 464 companies exceeded estimates by 16.46%, while revenue expectations were surpassed by 2.01%,” FNB added. Global equities closed mostly higher as renewed hopes for a United States-Iran agreement boosted sentiment and eased pressures on oil prices.
On Wall Street, the Dow Jones rose 0.55%, the S&P 500 gained 0.17%, and the NASDAQ edged 0.09% higher, marking a second straight day of gains as reports point to narrowing differences between Washington and Tehran. Oil Tops $105 Amidst U.S.-Iran Peace Talks Optimism
