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 August 31, 2026 · rolling 90-day window · 11 GICS sectors
Communication Services
The Communication Services sector demonstrated robust performance this quarter, with an impressive 80% of companies beating expectations. A dominant theme across the sector was the…
Consumer Discretionary
The Consumer Discretionary sector showed a mixed performance in the last quarter, driven by diverging demand trends, pricing pressures, and cautious guidance from key players. Nota…
Consumer Staples
The Consumer Staples sector exhibited resilience in Q2 2026, driven by strong demand trends and strategic pricing initiatives, despite facing inflationary pressures and mixed consu…
Energy
The energy sector delivered a stellar performance this quarter, with all five reporting companies exceeding analyst expectations, driven by strong demand trends and strategic capit…
Financials
The Financials sector exhibited robust performance in Q2 2026, with an impressive 81% of companies beating earnings expectations. Key themes driving this success included strong de…
Health Care
The healthcare sector demonstrated strong resilience in the second quarter of 2026, characterized by robust earnings performance, with 83% of companies beating expectations. Key th…
Industrials
The industrials sector exhibited robust performance in the last quarter, marked by strong revenue growth and positive guidance from a majority of companies. Key themes included str…
Information Technology
The Information Technology sector exhibited robust performance in the last quarter, driven primarily by strong demand for AI-related products and services, alongside strategic guid…
Materials
The materials sector exhibited a mixed performance this quarter, driven by distinct themes of demand resilience and cost pressures. Notably, companies like Corteva and Ecolab demon…
Real Estate
The Real Estate sector showcased robust performance in the latest quarter, with 77% of companies beating earnings expectations. Key themes driving this success include strong deman…
Utilities
The utilities sector exhibited robust performance in the last quarter, with an impressive 84% of companies beating earnings expectations. Key themes driving this success include st…