86% of US firms beat earnings expectations — biggest positive surprise since 2008

The US corporate earnings season for Q2 is at the halfway mark and delivering record numbers: 86% of companies have beaten expectations, above both the 5- and 10-year averages, according to FactSet estimates. The gap between actual results and forecasts has reached 31.4%, the highest in at least 17 years. The figures point to exceptional health among American businesses.