Q1 2026 Earnings Season Scorecard: 81% Beat Rate, But the Market Is Selling the Beats

# Q1 2026 Earnings Season Scorecard: 81% Beat Rate, But the Market Is Selling the Beats

> **Quick answer:** With 87 S&P 500 companies reported, 81% have beaten Q1 2026 earnings estimates — well above the historical average of 75%. But the market has developed a strict new grading system: beat without raising full-year guidance and the stock gets sold. IBM lost 7.8% after hours despite beating. Honeywell fell 7%. ServiceNow crashed 14.75%. Meanwhile, companies that beat AND raised — Texas Instruments, GE Vernova, Intel — are up 13–16%. The message from institutional investors is unambiguous: good results are the price of admission. Raised guidance is the only ticket to a rally.

The single most important pattern of Q1 2026 earnings season is hiding in plain sight. Across 87 reporters and an 81% beat rate, one variable predicts post-earnings stock performance better than EPS surprise, revenue growth, or margin expansion: whether management raised full-year guidance. If they did, the stock typically ripped higher. If they didn't — even when the quarter was strong — institutions sold.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Consult a qualified financial advisor for personal financial decisions.

## The Scorecard: Every Major Reporter So Far

Here is the full Fizzty Q1 2026 earnings scorecard for the companies we have tracked this week, sorted by post-earnings market reaction: