S&P 500 edges up 0.2%; Nasdaq out front with 0.5% gain
Tech leads S&P 500 sector gainers; Energy weakest group
Euro STOXX 600 index ~flat
Dollar up slightly; bitcoin rallies ~5%; crude declines; gold falls >1%
US 10-Year Treasury yield edges up to ~4.10%
Welcome to the home for real-time coverage of markets brought to you by Reuters reporters. You can share your thoughts with us at markets.research@thomsonreuters.com
SMALL CAPS: ONE HIT WONDERS OR 2026 CHART TOPPERS?
Stephen DeSanctis, equity strategist at Jefferies, says small-cap earnings growth has finally surpassed large-cap earnings growth.
"We thought Small would 'Cross the Rubicon' (i.e. Small Cap earnings growth outpacing Large) in Q4 reporting season, pleasantly surprised it happened in Q3. Best growth rate for Small since 1Q22 at 14.0% vs. 13.5% for Large. Better times ahead in '26 with market broadening out," writes DeSanctis in an equity strategy note.
However, he points out that analysts trimmed Q4 for small, while raising expectations for large, leading him to say, "we hope the turnaround is not a one hit wonder like 'The Knack'."
In any event, as DeSanctis sees it, if small-cap and other segments of the market offer better earnings growth in 2026, it should not only alter the landscape for small vs large, but also broaden the equity market with less narrowness and more companies outperforming.
He adds that "A broader market would translate to a better environment for Value, Quality, getting down cap, and valuations mattering."
Jefferies looks for better times ahead next year, as does Wall Street with 2026 earnings growth expectations at 18.4% for small, 14.2% for mid, and 13.2% for large.
That said, DeSanctis admits large is a tale of two tapes, with the Sweet 16 at 21.5% and the "Rest of the S&P 500" at 9.8%.
One concern he has is that if the market favors revenue growth then "hands down our Sweet 16 will be the winner."
(Terence Gabriel)
*****
EARLIER ON LIVE MARKETS:
WHEN CRYPTO PRICES TUMBLED, WHAT OF THE CORPORATE HOARDERS? CLICK HERE
WALL STREET INDEXES TRY TO TURN AROUND THEIR FROWNS CLICK HERE
BENCHMARK TREASURY YIELD STILL A COILED SPRING CLICK HERE
SAXO'S VERY OUTLANDISH 'WHAT IFS' FOR 2026 CLICK HERE
BUYBACKS: A KEY DRIVER FOR EUROPE IN 2026 CLICK HERE
BEST YEAR SINCE 1997, ARE EUROPEAN BANKS STILL A BUY? CLICK HERE
HOW INFLATION FORECASTS CAN EMBOLDEN THE ECB DOVES CLICK HERE
BANKS AND BAYER LEND SUPPORT CLICK HERE
BEFORE THE BELL: FUTURES STEADY, FOCUS ON BAYER, STOXX RESHUFFLE CLICK HERE
AUCTION BID STEADIES JAPAN BOND SLIDE CLICK HERE