Q4 Will Be The Worst U.S. Earnings Season Since The Third Quarter Of 2009

Tyler Durden's picture




 

Couple of things: first of all, any discussion whether the US market is in a profit (or revenue) recession must stop: the US entered a profit recession in Q3 when it posted two consecutive quarters of earnings declines. This was one quarter after the top-line of the S&P dropped for two consecutive quarters, and as of this moment the US is poised to have 4 consecutive quarters with declining revenues as of the end of 2015.

Furthermore, as we showed on September 21, when Q4 was still expected to be a far stronger quarter than it ended up being, in the very best case, the US would go for 7 whole quarters without absolute earnings growth (and even longer without top-line growth).

Then, as always happens, optimism about the current quarter was crushed as we entered the current quarter, and whereas on September 30, 2015, Q4 earnings growth was supposed to be just a fraction negative, or -0.6%, as we have crossed the quarter, the full abyss has revealed itself and according to the latest Factset consensus data as of January 8, the current Q4 EPS drop is now expected to be a whopping -5%. And just to shut up the "it's all energy" crowd, of the 10 industries in the S&P, only 4 are now expected to post earnings growth and even their growth is rapidly sliding and could well go negative over the next few weeks.

 

It gets even worse. According to Bloomberg, on a share-weighted basis, S&P 500 profits are expected to have dropped by 7.2% in 4Q, while revenues are expected to fall by 3.1% This would represent the worst U.S. earnings season since 3Q 2009, and a third straight quarter of negative profit growth. It's no longer simply a recession: as noted above, the Q4 EPS drop follows declines of 3.1% in Q3 and 1.7% in Q2. it is... whatever comes next. 

As Bloomberg adds, the main driving forces behind drop in U.S. earnings are the rise in the dollar index (thanks Fed) and the drop in average WTI oil prices. However, since more than half of all industries are about to see an EPS decline, one can't blame either one or the other.

So while we know what to expect from Q4, a better question may be what is coming next, and according to the penguin brigade, this time will be different, and the hockey stick which was expected originally to take place in Q4 2015 and then Q1 2016 has been pushed back to Q4 2016, when by some miracle, EPS is now expected to grow by just about 15%.

Good luck.

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Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:23 | 7043581 Mr. Guts
Mr. Guts's picture

People have finally figured out they have enough shit from China 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:40 | 7043665 Jurgster
Jurgster's picture

The coming Financial CATACLYSM. It'll be Ugly, Bloody, and Messy >> http://bit.ly/1KogtGi

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:43 | 7043679 Cognitive Dissonance
Cognitive Dissonance's picture

Death by a thousand paper fiat cuts.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:48 | 7043708 813kml
813kml's picture

“You didn't earn that”

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:56 | 7043733 will ling
will ling's picture

elitists want the folks to believe day is night and night is day. who believes that is gonna happen?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 22:45 | 7044181 Nobody For President
Nobody For President's picture

Right away - the Sheeple already believe Waar is Peace and Repression is Safety, and the death of Free speech is Good For You.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:38 | 7043650 buzzsaw99
buzzsaw99's picture

1. lower oil prices were supposed to be good for the economy.

2. the reason the dollar is so high is because the economy sucks so it is the chicken - egg thing.

3. earnings suck because the economy sucks because bernanke.

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 00:01 | 7044486 Uncle Sugar
Uncle Sugar's picture

I wonder if Hugh Hendrey is still managing money. I sold everything when he announced he'd drank the Koolaid.

 

And where is Fleckenstein? He's missing all the fun.

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 03:09 | 7044795 DownWithYogaPants
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I think he is still around.  I am going to wager he is too busy to interview right now with his selling.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:40 | 7043664 Baron Munchausen
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more printing and more war until one leads to a collapse in the capability to do the other.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:40 | 7043666 Osmium
Osmium's picture

What I find strange is that every time the market slipped over the last 6 years, they would trot some F-Stick from the FED out to say all is well.  Why are they not saying anything now?  Are they supposed to sit back and watch it crash now?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:42 | 7043670 thecondor
thecondor's picture

I am just waiting for it to fall apart so we can start over. And I want to see bankers jump. 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:42 | 7043671 thecondor
thecondor's picture

I am just waiting for it to fall apart so we can start over. And I want to see bankers jump. 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:43 | 7043686 yrad
yrad's picture

That's aspicy meatball!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:46 | 7043700 stant
stant's picture

Qe4 will be the worst response to it Eva . But the fucktards will do it anyway or war . Hell.maybe both

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:54 | 7043727 __Usury__
__Usury__'s picture

 

 

“From now on, depressions will be scientifically created.” — Congressman Charles A. Lindbergh Sr. , 1913

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 20:57 | 7043736 Yen Cross
Yen Cross's picture

 Buybacks -R-Us ?

 This is beyond ridiculous.

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 21:18 | 7043847 HalfersPower
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Tell me how consumer staples are forecasted to decline but consumer discretionary is forecasted to grow at 5%

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 21:31 | 7043907 Ness.
Ness.'s picture

Feel the Bern will take care of the staples...  EBT will cover the rest.

 

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 21:32 | 7043911 Crawdaddy
Crawdaddy's picture

stop it with the noticing, you'll break the spell!

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 21:33 | 7043925 JD59
JD59's picture

When is QE4 to INFINITY starting Mr. Yellen?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 21:36 | 7043942 JD59
JD59's picture

When is QE4 to INFINITY starting Mr. Yellen?

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 22:37 | 7044156 Lazane
Lazane's picture

The reason that the dollar continues to be strong when measured against other currencies is easy, when you understand that the American dollar remains the best place to park your money in a world completely full of debt and chaos. cheers

Wed, 01/13/2016 - 23:46 | 7044422 undertow1141
undertow1141's picture

And that is by design, like a spider spinning a web.

Thu, 01/14/2016 - 00:00 | 7044480 silverer
silverer's picture

Obama says Bloomberg is peddling fiction.  Who you going to believe?

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