{
 "id": "earnings-beat-rate",
 "title": "Earnings beat rate: how often US companies beat estimates",
 "question": "What percentage of companies beat earnings estimates?",
 "headline": "For fiscal quarters ending in 2026 Q2, 73% of 984 reporting companies among the roughly 1,000 largest US-listed companies that Cluenex covers beat the consensus earnings per share estimate, with a median surprise of 4.4%. The average beat rate over the previous 4 quarters was 72%. Early reporters for 2026 Q3: 86% of the first 111 beat.",
 "as_of": "2026-10-15",
 "tiles": [
  {
   "label": "Beat rate, 2026 Q2",
   "value": "73%"
  },
  {
   "label": "Median EPS surprise",
   "value": "4.4%"
  },
  {
   "label": "Companies reported",
   "value": "984"
  },
  {
   "label": "Average beat rate, prior 4 quarters",
   "value": "72%"
  }
 ],
 "tables": [
  {
   "title": "By sector, 2026 Q2",
   "columns": [
    "Sector",
    "Companies",
    "Beat rate",
    "Median surprise"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "Basic Materials",
     55,
     "71%",
     "2.9%"
    ],
    [
     "Communication Services",
     42,
     "50%",
     "1.2%"
    ],
    [
     "Consumer Cyclical",
     118,
     "69%",
     "3.0%"
    ],
    [
     "Consumer Defensive",
     58,
     "62%",
     "1.7%"
    ],
    [
     "Energy",
     34,
     "74%",
     "10.7%"
    ],
    [
     "Financial Services",
     150,
     "72%",
     "3.8%"
    ],
    [
     "Healthcare",
     100,
     "84%",
     "6.3%"
    ],
    [
     "Industrials",
     173,
     "77%",
     "4.9%"
    ],
    [
     "Real Estate",
     63,
     "59%",
     "4.4%"
    ],
    [
     "Technology",
     146,
     "84%",
     "6.3%"
    ],
    [
     "Utilities",
     45,
     "64%",
     "4.5%"
    ]
   ]
  },
  {
   "title": "Quarter by quarter",
   "columns": [
    "Fiscal quarter",
    "Companies",
    "Beat",
    "Missed",
    "Median surprise"
   ],
   "rows": [
    [
     "2026 Q2",
     984,
     "73%",
     "27%",
     "4.4%"
    ],
    [
     "2026 Q1",
     984,
     "75%",
     "25%",
     "4.8%"
    ],
    [
     "2025 Q4",
     980,
     "66%",
     "34%",
     "2.7%"
    ],
    [
     "2025 Q3",
     957,
     "73%",
     "27%",
     "4.4%"
    ],
    [
     "2025 Q2",
     828,
     "73%",
     "26%",
     "4.0%"
    ]
   ]
  }
 ],
 "faq": [
  {
   "q": "What percentage of companies beat earnings estimates?",
   "a": "For fiscal quarters ending in 2026 Q2, 73% of the 984 companies Cluenex tracked beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the previous 4 quarters the average was 72%."
  },
  {
   "q": "Why do most companies beat earnings estimates?",
   "a": "Companies guide analysts toward numbers they expect to clear, and analysts tend to trim estimates as the quarter goes on. A beat rate in the 70s is normal; what moves a stock is usually the size of the beat and the guidance for the next quarter."
  }
 ],
 "method": [
  "Universe: the roughly 1,000 largest US-listed companies that Cluenex covers. Actual and estimated EPS per company and fiscal quarter, from licensed market data.",
  "Beat = actual EPS above the consensus estimate; miss = below; equal counts as neither. Quarters are fiscal period end dates grouped by calendar quarter.",
  "A quarter is headlined once at least 200 companies have reported."
 ],
 "sources": [],
 "stats": {
  "quarter": "2026 Q2",
  "beat_rate": "73%",
  "median_surprise": "4.4%",
  "avg_beat_rate_prior": "72%"
 },
 "related": [
  "/learn/fundamental-analysis/earnings-season/"
 ],
 "generated_at": "2026-10-15T11:11:22+00:00",
 "series": [
  {
   "title": "Share of companies beating EPS estimates",
   "x": [
    "2025 Q2",
    "2025 Q3",
    "2025 Q4",
    "2026 Q1",
    "2026 Q2"
   ],
   "y": [
    73.4,
    73.0,
    66.3,
    74.9,
    72.8
   ],
   "unit": "%"
  }
 ]
}