Still, this earnings season also includes some signs the eight-plus-year rally is nearer the finish than the start. Just ahead of earnings season, analysts were penciling in only 3.2 percent growth in earnings per share for companies in the S&P 500. Analysts are notorious for underestimating corporate profits, so it's not unusual for companies to turn in better results than expected. It's been a high-quality earnings season." They're forecasting earnings growth for S&P 500 companies to accelerate to 10 percent in the current quarter and remain there in early 2018, according to FactSet.

Source: ABC News November 09, 2017 15:00 UTC