Of the S&P 500 members that have posted 2026 earnings-per-share forecasts, more than half have guided above analyst expectations, exceeding a historical average of 40%, strategist Ben Snider said. The figures are reassuring for investors who have been largely unimpressed by fourth-quarter earnings. Nearly halfway into the season, about 78% of S&P 500 firms have beaten estimates so far, a smaller share compared with the previous two quarters, according to data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence.