Barry Hyman Earnings Quotations

We've accepted the fact that the earnings growth for the quarter is around 20, 21 percent year-over-year for the S&P. But there's been this behind the scenes look or under the surface look at revenue. And we haven't got the best of forecasts for the second half of the year in many companies going forward. And if you don't have that pristine look -- where you come in this earnings season totally clean -- you've gotten battered. And I can't even name more than a handful of stocks that have come through.

Retail sales numbers were stronger than expected, and that shows that consumer are still spending, and I think that is weighing on the market today and it should. But it's not weighing on the Nasdaq, where you're seeing those really good earnings reports. People really regard tech as the place to make money.

On the earnings front, it's kind of mundane news, ... but the restructuring seems more aggressive than had been thought, and that's good for the stock.

Growth stocks on the large cap front with perceived consistent earnings can be looked at as better values.

I think the picture is optimistic and earnings in general have been better than expected.

I think it's the pattern from pre-announcements to earnings ? these are two companies (Motorola, Yahoo!) that have beaten lowered expectations, beating pre-announcements. When you expand that to the Microsoft story, it makes it even more powerful today.

I think we're looking at nothing but good news on the earnings front. It will be more critical to see what guidance these companies give us toward the next six months to one year. Today's action is a little too premature to say how the markets will react to earnings.

I think there's apathy in the market. The cruel reality is that earnings do matter and, in the absence of any new catalyst, you're going to get days like this.

I think there's enough in the cyclicality issue that it's going to be more of a traders' market, ... I think there's enough confusion out there that so much depends on the third-quarter earnings that we actually do see.

People are just looking at the fact there was no other news out there today since the LSI earnings to really affect the market but there was a little bit of bargain hunting. LSI was a sector story but it was enough, with the nervousness going into tomorrow, to bring some selling onto the market.

Overall the earnings seem to be coming in a little better than expected, but the news has been the lackluster going-forward look in high-profile names in tech and finance.

Trying to pick a trend in this market is impossible. Friday's action was anemic, and today there's anticipation of a stronger earnings season. Other than short-term traders, it's hard to negotiate a market that is so narrow in range. We're at least stable for now, but there hasn't been a trend for over a month.

We weathered a near-term storm of the recent tech earnings well. The market has a lot of consolidating to do, and there isn't a catalyst for serious upside at the moment. Only quality earnings amongst all sectors will help us.

We're supported by a rebounding economy after a weaker fourth quarter, and recently lower oil prices. But that's countered by concerns about slower earnings growth and higher inflation.

You have to ignore that because they're of course going to be bad, ... You have to look at earnings potential, and cyclicality stocks, I'll go for International Paper.

You have to be careful. There are not many sectors that are doing well out there. This is a slowing economy. People are looking for security of earnings. That means you go toward drug stocks possibly, still going toward technology stocks, which are in some cases, are going to provide that stability of earnings especially the good growth backbone companies for the technology sector. Avoid cyclical stocks, avoid retail stocks. Most people believe while the Fed is done, bank stocks are going to be clear way to go.

This number is very startling. It is the preliminary, so it is subject to fairly substantive revision. These numbers may translate into earnings risk, but may also dissuade an aggressive Federal Reserve. The chain deflator was higher than expected, which may take the steam out of our rally. This may dampen enthusiasm, but not kill it.

This number is very startling. It is preliminary, so it is subject to fairly substantive revision. These numbers may translate into earnings risk, but may also dissuade an aggressive Federal Reserve.

Either people are going to reposition away from technology and seek a home in the migration away from technology, which is why you have other sectors moving. For those who are tech players, it's going to leave those stocks that may have some concerns over future earnings and it's going to stay there.

Earnings are coming in better than expected, and they're helping the market preserve the rally, but the overriding concern to me is high energy prices and what the Fed is doing.

There's going to be this flip-flop next week and continually until we get through earnings season, going from earnings to worrying about the economic slowdown and what inflation brings so I think next week is going to be marked by that. We're getting to the point where the market needs good earnings. It needs to have a catalyst to get the growth sector moving again.

The trend with the earnings has been that if you beat the estimates strongly, you get rewarded, but if you miss, you get hammered.

Technology has done well, not necessarily because of the crash, but because it has moved up the alert that the market's concentrating on a 2002 recovery. Rather than focusing on the earnings that are going to come out in the fourth quarter, people are looking forward rather than near-term.

The moves in media stocks are never earnings based.

As long as we continue to see good earnings and the reaction to good earnings positive, then you will see Nasdaq as the sector of choice. The Dow is being weighted by this conflicting (economic) story -- stronger consumer spending and OK-looking inflation numbers. But the tech (sector) is merrily rolling along.

You would hope that the strong earnings would support the market and give it the ability to react positively. But I think the case for that has been diminished lately.

You're getting a lot of positive sentiment in the market and a lot of rotational shifting toward growth. It doesn't say that earnings are going to be better but it does lead one to believe that a lot of the bad news may already be built in.

A lot of the gains are due to the earnings story. I think the market can deal with one or two more interest rate hikes and believe that the Fed is not going beyond neutral.

A lot of the gains are due to the earnings story.

This perception creates a negative opinion on Wall Street. But over time, it will help the equity markets because it is reflexive of a better earnings picture.

There really isn't any dramatic news to come out post-Fed ? we're going to get into that earnings void, the next meeting for the Fed isn't until late June, so I think the story is how well the pullback in this market will be contained.

This market has got problems and it's got earnings problems and it has not discounted yet. You have to expect to be bombarded every day by more earnings warnings in technology.

As we get through the earnings in the next few weeks, we'll see some positive surprises, which should help stabilize the market. And then, once we get past the election, I think we're going to see a pickup.

It's going to have to be the third-quarter earnings to save the market.

It's going to be push-pull this week, ... Will earnings be strong and drive the Dow to 12,000, or will higher rates work to push the Dow lower?

Don't buy your favorite stock until you see the earnings statement. It's better to have the trend with you than guess at a bottom.

It's certainly related to the financial sector going down. There is increasing concern that there will be more earnings misses or pre-announcements coming out. A lot of this is (also) options-related.

I like Wells Fargo. Super regional bank, great earnings growth, around 13-14 percent year over year. They just got past their 1 millionth on-line investor, and I want to have a super regional bank or a large bank that has an online presence.

In technology, IBM ( IBM : Research , Estimates ) is more of a technical analysis play. The stock has broken out, or getting very close to breaking out, of a trading range. And I think the market's still going to give a premium to quality companies in technology. IBM being listed doesn't get that Nasdaq appeal, however. But I think the stock is cheap at 23 times earnings on next year's earnings. And their big server market and the other types of technology they have are doing very well in the service sector.

How the market interprets some of the earnings next week will be the broader focus,

You continue to have investors weighing strong earnings -- in this case Yahoo! and Intel -- versus the fear of inflation again.

You can pick you poison today from anywhere. The earnings concern and lack of guidance for 2006 concerns tech players. But the story goes beyond that to energy pricing, which is still a 2005 perspective. Once again, energy is the leading sector. As long as energy prices remain high the market should suffer.

The cat's out of the bag here with IBM. It's going to affect more than IBM, because Y2K is a concern and it's going to affect many different sectors of the market. And analysts have already switched from just looking at earnings to quality of earnings.

(The GDP) doesn't justify the slower earnings picture later in the year. There's a little bit of saving grace in there because we're seeing a strong economy still with no dramatic inflationary prospects.

(The GDP) doesn't justify the slower earnings picture later in the year, ... There's a little bit of saving grace in there because we're seeing a strong economy still with no dramatic inflationary prospects.

The economy is still strong, earnings will be good, and that bodes well for the stock market,

The market is waiting to see the earnings because that is your first catalyst in the market that can possibly dispel the slower-than-expected growth that the market is anticipating. The market is very split today. People are just looking for reasons to own some things and reasons to sell others.

The market remains concerned with the progress of the earnings beyond the second quarter.

The market is operating under a little bit of a caution flag here, with energy prices way too high and a fourth quarter starting to show a slowing earnings trend.

The market is just reeling from all the impediments ahead of it. There doesn't seem to be any meaningful reaction to any news on the earnings front or meetings that company's are offering to tell you that things are not as bad.