Understand what drives the S&P 500

Every quarter, the biggest companies in the market tell you what's really happening — in their earnings calls. We read them so you don't have to. Below: a sector-by-sector synthesis of the latest S&P 500 earnings calls — who beat, who missed, and the themes moving each sector.

Last updated July 13, 2026 · rolling 90-day window · 11 GICS sectors

Communication Services

42companies
90%beat
3%in-line
7%miss

The Communication Services sector exhibited robust performance this quarter, with 90% of companies beating expectations, driven by strong demand trends, strategic investments in te…

Strong Demand TrendsCapital Expenditure GrowthContent Monetization SuccessCompetitive Pressures
Read the Communication Services recap →

Consumer Discretionary

64companies
80%beat
7%in-line
13%miss

The Consumer Discretionary sector exhibited a mixed performance in the latest quarter, driven by varying demand trends and macroeconomic pressures. A dominant theme was the resilie…

demand resilienceoperational efficiencymacroeconomic pressuresstrategic innovation
Read the Consumer Discretionary recap →

Consumer Staples

66companies
70%beat
18%in-line
12%miss

The Consumer Staples sector demonstrated resilience this quarter, driven by strong demand trends and strategic pricing initiatives. Notably, companies like Costco and Walmart repor…

Strong Demand TrendsInflationary PressuresStrategic Pricing InitiativesMixed Guidance
Read the Consumer Staples recap →

Energy

34companies
91%beat
0%in-line
9%miss

The energy sector exhibited robust performance in Q2 2026, with an impressive 91% of companies beating earnings expectations. Key themes driving this success included strong operat…

strong operational performancestrategic capital allocationfavorable pricing dynamicsmerger integration success
Read the Energy recap →

Financials

173companies
86%beat
11%in-line
3%miss

The financial sector exhibited robust performance in the last quarter, with 86% of companies beating earnings expectations, driven by strong demand across various segments, strateg…

AI IntegrationInvestment Banking GrowthOperational EfficiencyMarket Resilience
Read the Financials recap →

Health Care

156companies
78%beat
14%in-line
8%miss

In the latest quarter, the Health Care sector exhibited robust growth, with 78% of S&P 500 companies beating earnings expectations. Key themes driving this performance included str…

demand for innovationstrategic acquisitionscost managementdivergent performance
Read the Health Care recap →

Industrials

169companies
78%beat
11%in-line
11%miss

The industrials sector showcased robust performance in the latest quarter, with approximately 78% of companies exceeding earnings expectations, driven by strong demand dynamics, st…

Strong Demand DynamicsStrategic AcquisitionsCost ManagementSector Divergence
Read the Industrials recap →

Information Technology

194companies
88%beat
11%in-line
1%miss

The Information Technology sector demonstrated remarkable resilience in Q3 2026, with an impressive 88% of companies reporting earnings that beat expectations. Central to this perf…

AI DemandPricing PowerCapex GrowthDivergence in Performance
Read the Information Technology recap →

Materials

35companies
69%beat
25%in-line
6%miss

The Materials sector demonstrated resilience in Q2 2026, with 69% of companies beating earnings expectations, driven primarily by strong demand across various sub-sectors and effec…

Strong DemandPricing PowerCapex DivergenceOperational Resilience
Read the Materials recap →

Real Estate

52companies
79%beat
17%in-line
4%miss

The real estate sector exhibited robust performance in Q1 2026, with 79% of companies beating earnings expectations, driven by strong demand dynamics and strategic growth initiativ…

Leasing ResilienceTechnological AdvancementsDivergent Performance
Read the Real Estate recap →

Utilities

34companies
85%beat
9%in-line
6%miss

The utilities sector demonstrated robust performance in the first quarter of 2026, with 85% of companies beating earnings expectations. Key themes driving this growth include stron…

strong demandcapital investmentsmergers and acquisitionsregulatory challenges
Read the Utilities recap →