86% of S&P 500 companies beat forecasts in strong Q2 earnings season

According to FactSet data, over one quarter of the way into Q2 earnings season, 86% of S&P 500 companies have beaten analyst estimates for earnings per share. Both profits and revenues are well above historical averages, even excluding Alphabet's unusually high EPS. It is shaping up as one of the strongest earnings seasons in recent years.