Earnings season is delivering a message that investors have waited to hear. The rally is widening. After a summer dominated by a handful of mega caps, a slate of old-economy leaders just topped estimates and lifted outlooks. This improvement gives the broader market a sturdier base as investors look toward year end.
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S&P 500 (SPX) profits are now projected to rise 9.3% from a year ago to roughly $574.4 billion. This figure landed before this week’s beats, which means aggregate growth can still push into double digits. The momentum sets up a cleaner runway for indexes even as tariff headlines, sticky inflation, and China trade risk linger.
Industrial Bellwethers Carry Their Weight
General Motors (GM) delivered an upbeat view for the fourth quarter. The stock jumped to a record close as management leaned into stronger production and healthier pricing. The tone from Detroit matters because autos sit at the center of supply chains that feed metals, parts, transport, and credit.
3M (MMM) lifted its 2025 profit forecast and rallied 7.7% to a four-year high. New products and deeper wallet share with existing customers are doing the work. GE Aerospace (GE) raised guidance for the second time in four months as aircraft demand stayed hot and engine deliveries improved. Each of these updates signals that real-economy end markets are carrying momentum into 2026.
Consumer Brands Defend Margins and Grow
Coca-Cola (KO) beat earnings with revenue of $12.5 billion, its highest in more than a decade. The company leaned on price discipline and a shift toward healthier and sugar-free offerings. That combination protected margins while meeting changing tastes.
The consumer story is relevant to the rally’s breadth. When staple leaders can pass through price and still grow volumes, it suggests households are absorbing higher costs better than feared. That backdrop reduces the odds of an earnings air pocket as the year closes.
Tech Still Leads While Breadth Catches Up
The Magnificent Seven are on track to grow earnings 14% year over year in the third quarter. The rest of the S&P 500 is set to grow 7.8%. The gap is narrowing as more sectors contribute. This mix gives the market a healthier tone than earlier in the cycle when returns were top-heavy.
Tesla (TSLA) and IBM (IBM) report Wednesday and will set the tone for the next stretch of tech results. Guidance and capital spending plans will matter as much as the headline beats. If management teams keep investing through the cycle, the market will keep rewarding execution over promises.
Markets Absorb Risk
Volatility eased even as credit headlines flashed last week. The softness did not derail the tape because banks and regionals calmed worries about hidden exposures. Investors seem more interested in the bigger story, which is that rate cuts are still coming, even if the data trickles in slowly during the shutdown.
Policy risk remains a factor. Tariffs and China talks can shift sentiment on a headline. Even so, earnings breadth is proving resilient. When more companies deliver, markets can shrug off single-issue scares and keep climbing the wall of worry.
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