The second quarter earnings season is kicking off
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Our Equity Top Pick List
We have updated our Equity Top Pick List to reflect the events of the past quarter. The list includes those stocks, typically US and European ones, that we consider to be proper investment choices from a fundamental point of view. It can provide a starting point for building a sector-diversified equity exposure in portfolios, but can also be used as a watch list. Technical analysis should be used to time / determine the specific investment decision.
Could the momentum return in the semiconductors?
The semiconductor sector has had a challenging quarter, with its performance in recent months lagging behind improvements in underlying fundamentals, even as AI-driven demand remained exceptionally strong. The accelerating adoption of AI by enterprises and the proliferation of AI agents are significantly increasing the demand for computing capacity, which points to a further surge in cloud services and data center investments. Given current supply constraints, record-high backlogs, and higher-than-expected investment needs, we expect further upward revisions to earnings forecasts in the semiconductor industry. Nevertheless, the sector’s valuation appears favorable from a historical perspective, which, in our view, could result in a more attractive risk-return profile in the coming months.
This week, the earnings season kicks off in the US with the latest figures from Pepsi and Delta Air Lines, followed next week by the second-quarter earnings figures from major US banks. Among Hungarian companies, AutoWallis will publish its latest sales report on July 15, and PannErgy will release its production report on the same day. For European companies, the earnings season will pick up speed during the week of July 20.
The second-quarter earnings season is kicking off in the US; according to FactSet, the estimated earnings growth rate for the S&P 500 in the second quarter could be 23.3% (year-over-year). However, among the index components, 48 companies have issued negative EPS guidance for the second quarter, while 63 have issued positive guidance.
As of noon on Wednesday, 3% of the companies in the S&P 500 had already released their latest figures; In terms of revenue, these companies reported results that were, on average, 4.7% above expectations; 60% of the companies that have released their earnings reports so far delivered a positive surprise on revenue, while 6.7% delivered a negative surprise. In terms of EPS, companies that have released their earnings reports so far have, on average, reported earnings 16.1% above expectations; 93.3% of the companies that have reported so far delivered positive surprises, while none have delivered negative surprises so far. Among the components of the Stoxx 600 index, only four companies have released their earnings reports so far.
This week, Pepsi and Delta Air Lines will report their latest figures, and in the week of July 13, earnings season will continue with the latest results from large US banks. In Europe, the earnings season will pick up speed in the second half of the week of July 20, while among Hungarian companies, AutoWallis will publish its latest sales report and PannErgy will release its production report on July 15.
Second quarter earnings dates – 2026.07.13. – 07.17.
Second quarter earnings dates – 2026.07.20. – 07.24.
S&P500 second quarter earnings dates - 2026.07.09. – 07.24.
Stoxx 600 second quarter earnings dates - 2026.07.09. – 07.24.
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