Is Earnings Growth on the Horizon (Chart of the Week)
Stock prices are driven by earnings and expectations of earnings, and in the last few months, these growth expectations haven't been rosy. But some experts are becoming more optimistic.
Depressed oil prices, for example, have been one of the main causes of the stock market's deterioration, crushing sales and profits for oil producers and driving energy prices to low levels. But with these prices stabilizing, losses could shrink. More importantly, however, prices are still low, and owners, developers and consumers can reap the benefits of cheap energy while they can.
Even the strong dollar—which has made US exports too expensive, costing corporations that have big international stakes millions—could become a tailwind for these international companies.
But, developers can still take advantage of the slow turnaround in the market place by attracting more and more foreign investors to stable real estate assets. Business Insider even points out that—sans low oil prices and unfavorable foreign exchange—earnings are growing.
Morgan Stanley Research managing director Andrew Sheets says that while earnings may not be rolling over and are still weak in the US and Europe, the company's forecasts predict a key inflection is on the horizon. FactSet's John Butters agrees that declines are expected to continue into Q4 '15, but says analysts believe that earning will grow 2.1% in Q1 '16.
