ene/iStock via Getty Images After investors reduced exposure to U.S. equities last week, the distribution of near-term outcomes has improved, according to Goldman Sachs strategists. They said the first-quarter earnings season in mid-April will be key in providing clarity on the outlook and the impact of the Middle East conflict. The team led by Ben Snider expects S&P 500 earnings to grow at a soli...
ene/iStock via Getty Images After investors reduced exposure to U.S. equities last week, the distribution of near-term outcomes has improved, according to Goldman Sachs strategists. They said the first-quarter earnings season in mid-April will be key in providing clarity on the outlook and the impact of the Middle East conflict. The team led by Ben Snider expects S&P 500 earnings to grow at a solid 12% this year, barring a severely prolonged disruption, with AI investment presenting a key tailwind, Bloomberg reported. Outside of tech, the key question is the extent to which elevated energy prices and supply chain disruption weigh on corporate profits, especially via margins. Given this, guidance and commentary are likely to garner more attention than actual results this quarter, the report added. Early Q1 reporters have issued promising results, leading analysts to raise 2026 EPS estimates for most S&P 500 companies that have reported during the past month. The bank’s US equity market sentiment indicator is posting its lowest reading since August last year, improving the near-term outlook; however, positioning at current levels still appears “insufficient to drive the market higher without an improvement in the fundamental outlook,” according to the report. According to TMC Research, the stock market’s decline since the Iran war "started isn’t surprising, but some market observers have been puzzled by the gradual, orderly slide in equities to date." More on markets, S&P 500 Earnings Update: Earnings Yield Jumps Back Over 5% For Once, I Will Think Like A Bear: Q2 Winners And Losers This Market Is So Up And Down, My Hedges Are Hedged Wedbush’s Basham warns higher rates, oil risks drive stock picks The big pain trades of Q1
(RTTNews) - Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR), a software company, on Monday announced the renewal and expansion of its partnership with an automotive manufacturing corp., Stellantis N.V. (STLA) for an additional five years.
(RTTNews) - Palantir Technologies Inc. (PLTR), a software company, on Monday announced the renewal and expansion of its partnership with an automotive manufacturing corp., Stellantis N.V. (STLA) for an additional five years.
Qatar’s central bank is allowing lenders to offer borrowers payment deferrals, cutting reserve requirements and providing unlimited repo liquidity as Gulf policymakers race to respond to fallouts from the Iran war that’s now in its fifth week. The measures include the option to defer loan principal and interest payments for up to three months for customers affected by “current circumstances”, the ...
Qatar’s central bank is allowing lenders to offer borrowers payment deferrals, cutting reserve requirements and providing unlimited repo liquidity as Gulf policymakers race to respond to fallouts from the Iran war that’s now in its fifth week. The measures include the option to defer loan principal and interest payments for up to three months for customers affected by “current circumstances”, the central bank said on Monday. It will also provide “an unlimited amount of Qatari riyal repurchase facilities against eligible securities held by banks” and introduce a term repo facility with maturities up to three months. The Qatari central bank will reduce the reserve requirement on deposits from 4.5% to 3.5% to release additional liquidity. The central bank said that liquidity levels are robust in both Qatari riyal and foreign currency, capital ratios substantially exceed regulatory minimums and provisioning buffers provide ample cover against credit risk. Qatar is facing fallouts from Tehran’s retaliation as the US-Israeli war on Iran has stretched beyond a month. The Ras Laffan plant, the world’s largest liquefied natural gas plant, was severely damaged and may take up to five years to repair. Qatar Airways, the region’s second-largest operator behind Emirates, has cancelled thousands of flights since the end of February. It has contacted several aircraft lessors to potentially defer or reduce rental payments, citing the ongoing war and the impact of airspace closures. Doha’s move comes two weeks after the United Arab Emirates’ central bank rolled out a resilience package to support the banking sector and boost liquidity and lending capacity. The UAE has borne the brunt of retaliation from Tehran among Gulf states with energy infrastructure, airports as well as buildings in residential and commercial districts damaged by projectiles and debris from interceptions. For more, read: UAE Central Bank Supports Lenders as Iran War Continues QCB is the first central bank in th...