Positive Q4 Results

The rising number of corona virus cases and earnings are the factors that may decide the market direction going forward. While the positive results have so far kept market momentum intact, the increasing spread of the second wave of the virus threatens to dislodge the positivity in the markets. Yogesh Supekar analyses the Q4 results while highlighting the hits and misses of the current earnings season while the DSIJ Research Team highlights the sector-wise earnings’ performance this season

- Yogesh Supekar

Election results and increasing number of corona virus cases are expected to set the tone for the markets in the near term along with the quality of earnings this season. Indeed, the way the markets have behaved both locally and in the developed world has got investors spellbound. The earnings in the US markets have been more than impressive with stocks such as Amazon, Tesla, Facebook and Google continuing to report above average growth. The US economy is expected to deliver more than 7 per cent GDP growth in FY22 while the recovery in European economies stands to be impressive, especially that of the UK. Chinese economy has also rebounded impressively enough to create optimism and allow the equity prices to remain in the green.

The Indian economy is also expected to deliver higher than 10 per cent GDP growth in FY22, thus giving hopes to long-term investors. While low interest rates, expected economic rebound globally, record GST collection, heightened economic activity in March 2021 are the factors helping the risk on mode to be active, in reality true optimism is infused by superior earnings this season as well. On the earnings front, after two stupendous back-to-back earnings’ seasons, the analyst community was not very excited about the prospects this season. However, the quality of the earnings has been more than satisfactory this season, so far.