After investors raced for the exits following their last earnings reports, package-deliverer FedEx Corp. and athletic-gear maker Nike Inc. will try it again. And they’ll offer important reads on demand as inflation-chastened consumers navigate holiday shopping.
FactSet senior earnings analyst John Butters, in a report on Friday, said that analysts and companies “have been slightly less pessimistic in their earnings outlooks for S&P 500 companies for the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter,” even if they’re more cautious when compared to trends over the last five years.
“It is interesting to note that the same three sectors that had the highest percentages of Buy ratings at the end of last year also have the highest percentages of Buy ratings at the end of this year,” Butters said in the report. Cruise-line operator Carnival Corp. CCL will report Wednesday, with analyst reservations about the travel rebound starting to surface. Micron Technology Inc. MU , a chip maker facing concerns about memory demand on electronic devices is due to report.