Q1 earnings beat wave

First-quarter earnings season opened with a broad run of upside surprises across the S&P 500, not just a few outliers. (factset.com) As of April 17, 2026, 10% of S&P 500 companies had reported results, and 88% of them beat earnings-per-share estimates while 84% topped revenue forecasts. (factset.com) FactSet said the blended earnings growth rate for the quarter stood at 13.2%, up from 12.2% a week earlier and unchanged from the estimate at March 31. (insight.factset.com) If that 13.2% figure holds, the index will post a sixth straight quarter of double-digit year-over-year earnings growth. Eight of the 11 sectors are reporting or are projected to report growth, led by information technology, materials, financials and utilities. (insight.factset.com) The beat rates are running ahead of recent norms. FactSet said the share of companies beating profit estimates is above recent averages, and outside summaries of the same data put the five-year average EPS beat rate at 78%. (insight.factset.com, riotimesonline.com) The early read also shows the gains are not evenly spread. Energy and health care are the main sectors pulling the other way, while positive earnings surprises and estimate revisions in financials and communication services helped offset those drags. (insight.factset.com) Big technology is still doing more than its share. FactSet estimated first-quarter earnings growth at 22.8% for the “Magnificent 7,” versus 10.1% for the other 493 companies in the index, with Nvidia expected to be the largest single contributor. (factset.com) The reporting season is still in its first stretch, which leaves room for the numbers to move. FactSet said 93 S&P 500 companies were scheduled to report in the following week, when the pace of releases typically accelerates. (watrust.com) For now, the main takeaway is simple: companies are clearing Wall Street’s bar on both profit and sales often enough to keep aggregate growth in double digits. (factset.com)