Macroeconomics

Weekly Market Monitor

May 16, 2025 | 3 minute read
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The Strategic Advisory Solutions Market Monitor features a thematic chart and highlights key economic events and data releases driving the past week’s market moves.

Chart of the Week: Defying Expectations

Once again, corporate America has defied expectations with 1Q year-over-year earnings growth tracking at 13%, 7pp above consensus expectations coming into the season. However, many US companies have become increasingly attuned to the manifestations of tariffs in their businesses. Mentions of “recession” during earnings calls are up tenfold to 23% in 1Q while mentions of layoffs have remained quite low in just 2% of calls, suggesting that many firms are waiting for clarity on policy and economic data before making any concrete shifts.

Chart of the Week

Source: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research and Goldman Sachs Asset Management. As of May 13, 2025. Chart shows both consensus expectations prior to the start of the earnings season and actual quarterly year-over-year EPS growth for the S&P 500 index. “EPS” refers to Earnings Per Share. “Earnings season” is the period when publicly traded companies release their quarterly earnings reports. Past performance does not predict future returns nor guarantee future results, which may vary. For illustrative purposes only. The economic and market forecasts presented herein are for informational purposes as of the date of this presentation. There can be no assurance that the forecasts will be achieved.  Please see additional disclosures at the end of this presentation.

Download the full document, which includes the chart of the week and a summary of market returns and economic activity over the week. On pages 2 and 3, we further recap equity sector, size and style returns, global index returns, as well as rates and spread movements and a monthly snapshot of global equity valuations.

Weekly Market Monitor
Our weekly Market Monitor features a thematic chart and highlights key economic events and data releases driving the past week’s market moves.
weekly market monitor
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