Monitoring Earnings & Valuation During the Pandemic

(1) Analysts break out the shears. (2) Profit margins losing their Trump tax-cut bump. (3) Confidence in earnings estimates crumbles to 2010 lows. (4) Forecasting earnings depends on guessing when businesses can get back to business. (5) Most sectors’ valuations have sunk to lows not seen since the GFC. (6) Will forward P/Es rebound as earnings estimates get cut? (7) Hey, big spender: Handful of S&P 500 CEOs gobble up their companies’ stock at March’s depressed prices. (8) Energy sector sees the most buying, followed by COVID-19-infected businesses. (9) The Simons buy Simon shares, the Icahns double down on Newell Brands.