Record 72 S&P 500 Companies Issue Positive Q3 Earnings Guidance, FactSet Reports

A record 72 S&P 500 companies have issued positive third-quarter earnings-per-share guidance, marking the highest volume since FactSet began tracking in 2006. Out of 116 index members providing quarterly outlooks, 62% guided above consensus estimates, well above the 40% five-year average. Conversely, only 44 companies issued negative EPS guidance, reaching a three-year low. The upbeat forecasts were led by the Information Technology sector, where 44 firms issued positive outlooks amid strong AI hardware and infrastructure demand. FactSet projects total S&P 500 earnings to increase 29.5%, with tech sector earnings projected to climb 65% year-over-year.