By The Numbers

EDITOR

Giovanny Moreano
Quantitative Analyst at CNBC

CONTRIBUTORS

Gina Francolla
Senior Producer of Quantitative & Market Data Services at CNBC
Robert Hum
Markets Producer for CNBC
Yolaiki Gonzalez
Market Data Analyst at CNBC
Marc Briganti
Market Data Analyst at CNBC
Kristen Scholer
Markets Producer for CNBC

ABOUT BY THE NUMBERS

Our market specialists dig deep into Wall Street’s daily metrics, crunching the numbers to help you become smarter about the market so that you can make better investment decisions. By The Numbers details the daily drama, the winners and losers, how the day stacks up historically, and how the numbers can offer a glimpse of the future.

KEY MARKET DATA

» More

#GIOVANNYMOREANO ON TWITTER

» Help

CNBC EXPLAINS

S&P 500 Earnings Leaderboard: Biggest Surprises Season to Date

Published: Thursday, 5 Nov 2009 | 7:23 AM ET

Text Size

By: Ariel Nelson
Director of Market Data & Content Services

Earnings season is coming closer to an end now that ~80% of the S&P 500 [.SPX Loading... () ] companies have reported earnings.

Here's how things stand so far:

Companies Exceeding EPS Estimates: 80%
Companies Matching EPS Estimates: 6%
Companies Falling Below EPS Estimates: 14%

At the same point last quarter, 18% of the companies reporting had missed EPS estimates and 74% had beaten estimates.

Dow component, Caterpillar [CAT Loading... () ] has had the biggest percent surprise to the upside followed by Nicor [GAS Loading... () ] and Sallie Mae [SLM Loading... () ]. In absolute dollars, financials sit atop the leaderboard. After Citigroup's [C Loading... () ] surprise of over $1.3 billion, Ford [F Loading... () ] and JP Morgan Chase [JPM Loading... () ] follow with ~$1.2 billion surprises each.

Earnings - Best Performers (as of 11/4)

Company	Symbol	Sector	Date	EPS Est.	Actual	%Chg
Caterpillar	CAT	Industrials	10/20/2009	0.06	0.64	967%
Nicor	GAS	Utilities	10/30/2009	0.04	0.30	650%
KLA-Tencor	KLAC	Tech	10/29/2009	0.02	0.15	650%
Capital One	COF	Financials	10/22/2009	0.14	0.94	571%
Sallie Mae	SLM	Financials	10/20/2009	0.04	0.26	550%

On the downside, Massey Energy [MEE Loading... () ] remains atop the leaderboard, with its -122% miss. Pioneer Natural Resources [PXD Loading... () ] debuts with the second worst surprise. In absolute dollars, Etrade Financial [ETFC Loading... () ] leads with its $1 billion negative surprise.

Earnings - Biggest Losers (as of 11/4)

Company	Symbol	Sector	Rpt Date	EPS Est.	Actual	%Chg
Massey Energy	MEE	Energy	10/27/2009	0.18	-0.04	-122%
Pioneer Natural Resources	PXD	Energy	11/3/2009	0.07	0.02	-71%
Allegheny Technologies	ATI	Materials	10/21/2009	0.03	0.01	-67%
Smith International	SII	Energy	10/29/2009	0.15	0.07	-53%
Apartment Investment & Mgmt	AIV	Financials	10/30/2009	0.39	0.19	-51%

Source: Thomson Reuters

Many companies have improved their earnings by cutting costs. Investors are looking for topline growth as a sign that the economy has indeed turned the corner. Continue on to the next page to see the biggest revenue surprises to date as well.

CONTINUED: Biggest revenue surprises to date

1 | 2 | Next Page »

Print Email

CNBC HIGHLIGHTS

» More: Blogs | Quizzes | Slideshows | Special Reports | Video

Zuck's Bargain

How much did the Facebook founder pay for other shareholders' voting rights? Not a heck of a lot, says the NY Times.

Top Dog Breeds

Here’s a look at Westminster Kennel Club’s most successful breeds and how much they cost.

Million Dollar Cars

German 'Miracle'?

The oft-mentioned jobs "miracle" in European economic powerhouse Germany has a dark side that's largely escaped comment.

Larger or Smaller?

When looking for that next career move, workers need to look at the differences between a start-up and a public firm.

Stressful Jobs

Not As Important

After enduring the recession, many Baby Boomers say money isn’t the most important thing they hope to leave to their kids.

Fashionable Stocks

The ‘Fast Money’ traders weigh in on fashion related stocks from apparel to footwear to accessories and fragrances.