About 85% of S&P 500 companies that have reported third-quarter earnings so far have beaten profit estimates, putting results on track to be the best since 2021. Analysts had raised expectations entering the season, marking this rate as unusually high.

Strong earnings and ongoing investment in AI are helping bolster market confidence despite global uncertainty. Only roughly 17% of the S&P 500’s market-cap has reported to date, so the picture is still developing. Strategists at JPMorgan Chase & Co. forecast double-digit earnings growth.

Sector winners span banks, auto and consumer goods, with firms such as Morgan Stanley, Citigroup, General Motors Co. and The Coca‑Cola Company posting strong results.