Earnings Recap - March 21, 2026 (EOD)

 ## Today's Earnings Scorecard Earnings season continued with a mixed bag of results across sectors, reflecting ongoing macroeconomic pressures and sector-specific challenges. While some companies managed to beat expectations and saw their shares rise, others missed estimates or issued cautious guidance, leading to declines. The broader market, as reflected in the S&P 500, closed lower by 1.70%, with notable weakness in technology and industrial sectors. Energy stocks remained a bright spot amid rising oil prices, though individual results varied. ## Earnings Winners **$PL** - +27.15% - Planet Labs delivered a strong earnings beat, driving a significant rally in its shares. The company reported robust revenue growth and highlighted a substantial $900 million backlog, which finally attracted Wall Street’s attention. This strong backlog underpins confidence in future revenue streams, supporting the sharp stock move. **$BKNG** - +1.63% - Booking Holdings beat earnings estimates and saw its shares rise. The company’s results reflected resilience in travel demand, and management maintained its guidance, signaling confidence in ongoing recovery trends in the travel sector. **$DELL** - +1.85% - Dell Technologies reported better-than-expected earnings, buoyed by strong enterprise demand. The stock gained after Silver Lake disclosed a 13.6% stake, adding investor interest. Dell’s guidance was maintained, underscoring steady fundamentals in its core business. **$GS** - +1.56% - Goldman Sachs beat on earnings and revenue, benefiting from strong trading and investment banking activities. The firm’s outlook remained positive despite macro uncertainties, supporting the modest share price gain. **$AXP** - +1.09% - American Express posted solid earnings, beating estimates with strength in consumer spending. The company maintained its guidance, reflecting confidence in the credit environment. **$FDX** - +1.16% - FedEx reported earnings above expectations, driven by better-than-anticipated volume and pricing power. The stock responded positively, supported by ongoing operational improvements. **$NSC** - +2.15% - Norfolk Southern showed a strong recovery in freight volumes and raised its outlook, leading to a notable share price increase. **$VZ** - +1.35% - Verizon’s shares rose following a Citigroup upgrade and raised price target, supported by stable earnings and positive commentary on its advertising business growth. ## Earnings Losers **$INTC** - -4.18% - Intel missed earnings estimates amid ongoing challenges in its manufacturing transition and competitive pressures. The stock fell sharply as investors digested the disappointing results and cautious outlook. **$MU** - -4.22% - Micron Technology reported weaker-than-expected earnings, citing softness in memory demand. The company’s cautious guidance weighed on shares, which declined significantly. **$BWXT** - -4.94% - BWX Technologies saw a steep decline after earnings missed expectations. The company cited margin pressures and project delays as key issues impacting results. **$ASTS** - -3.55% - AST SpaceMobile’s shares dropped sharply following earnings that disappointed on both revenue and margin fronts, raising concerns about execution risks. **$ORCL** - -3.36% - Oracle’s earnings missed estimates, with the company’s massive $553 billion backlog raising questions about conversion to revenue. The stock declined on concerns about near-term growth. **$SNOW** - -3.65% - Snowflake’s earnings fell short of expectations, and the company issued cautious guidance amid a challenging enterprise spending environment, leading to a notable share price drop. **$PANW** - -3.67% - Palo Alto Networks missed earnings estimates and lowered guidance, citing increased competition and slower enterprise spending. **$TGLS** - -5.19% - Tecnoglass reported disappointing earnings with margin compression, causing a sharp selloff. **$RKLB** - -5.14% - Rocket Lab’s shares fell after earnings missed expectations and concerns about additional capital needs were raised. ## After-Hours Earnings **$PL** - Results: Strong Q4 with $900 million backlog - AH reaction: +27.15% surge reflecting investor enthusiasm for backlog and growth prospects. **$SCHL** - Results: Upbeat Q3 earnings and $200 million buyback announced - AH reaction: +10.7% gain, signaling strong investor approval. **$PSTG** - Results: Data not available - AH reaction: -2.53% decline, possibly reflecting cautious sentiment ahead of results. **$ISRG** - Results: Data not available - AH reaction: +0.43% modest gain despite technical concerns. **$DNLI** - Results: Data not available - AH reaction: +0.10% flat to slightly positive. **$PLTR** - Results: Data not available - AH reaction: -2.40% decline, reflecting profit-taking or cautious outlook. ## Earnings Themes Today - Revenue trends showed a divergence between sectors, with technology and semiconductor companies facing headwinds from slowing demand, while travel and logistics firms benefited from sustained consumer activity. - Margin commentary was mixed; several industrial and tech companies cited margin pressures due to inflation and supply chain costs, while others like FedEx and Norfolk Southern highlighted operational efficiencies. - Guidance tone skewed cautious in technology and semiconductor sectors, with companies like Intel and Micron warning of continued softness. Conversely, travel and financial services firms maintained or raised guidance, reflecting confidence in consumer resilience. ## Tomorrow's Earnings Watch - **$MSFT** - Before market open - Key metric to watch: Cloud revenue growth and AI-related business updates amid competitive pressures. - **$META** - Before market open - Key metric to watch: Advertising revenue trends and guidance amid ongoing platform challenges. - **$AMZN** - Before market open - Key metric to watch: AWS growth and retail segment profitability. - **$PYPL** - After market close - Key metric to watch: Payment volume growth and margin trends. - **$CRM** - After market close - Key metric to watch: Subscription revenue and AI integration progress. ## Key Takeaway Today's earnings paint a picture of a market grappling with uneven economic conditions. While pockets of strength remain in travel, logistics, and financial services, technology and semiconductor sectors continue to face headwinds from slowing demand and margin pressures. The cautious guidance from key tech players underscores ongoing uncertainty, even as some growth-oriented companies like Planet Labs and Booking Holdings demonstrate robust demand and backlog strength. Investors will be closely watching tomorrow’s heavyweight tech earnings for further clarity on the sustainability of growth and the impact of AI investments on future profitability.