Bullish Signals Mount as Q1 Earnings Surprise to the Upside

Market Overview - The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average have risen for seven consecutive days, indicating a potential eighth gain, marking a turnaround from recent volatility [1] - A breadth thrust has led to renewed buying pressure, with 70% or more advancing issues in each session during a three-day stretch [2] Earnings Season Insights - The first-quarter earnings season is halfway through, with 256 S&P 500 companies reporting a 14% increase in total earnings and 4% higher revenues compared to the previous year [3] - Meta Platforms (META) reported earnings of $6.43 per share on revenues of$42.3 billion, beating estimates by 23.2% and 2.6% respectively, and provided upbeat revenue guidance [4][5] - Microsoft (MSFT) surpassed fiscal Q3 estimates with earnings of $3.46 per share, an 8.1$42.4 billion, up over 20% year-over-year [7] Economic Data and Federal Reserve Implications - The US economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.3% in Q1, lower than the expected 0.1%, marking the first quarter of negative growth since Q1 2022 [9][10] - The core PCE index, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, remained flat over the prior month, with a 12-month increase of 2.6%, aligning with estimates [11] - Market participants are anticipating four rate cuts this year, with the odds of a June rate cut climbing to approximately 67% following the latest inflation data [12] Market Sentiment and Future Outlook - A broad breadth thrust indicates a potential resumption of a longer-term bullish trend, although major US indexes are nearing potential resistance areas [13] - Positive reactions to earnings are crucial for sustaining market momentum as the first-quarter earnings season continues [14]