For investors, this week will also be all about corporate earnings. Companies will report how well they performed in the last quarter and give guidance on how well they expect to perform in the future. Big financial institutions, such as Bank of America, Charles Schwab, and Goldman Sachs are among those reporting this week, along with Tesla, United Airlines, and American Airlines. Even if you aren’t invested in a particular company, earnings could let us know how some of the country’s business leaders are feeling about the economy, and their predictions for what’s to come. So far, earnings have been weaker than normal, according to analysis from financial data and research provider FactSet. While about 70% of the S&P 500 companies that have reported so far (and there haven’t been too many just yet) have shared earnings above estimates, that’s still lower than the five-year average of 77%. In addition, companies aren’t beating earnings estimates as strongly as they were before. Expect more volatility in the markets throughout this earnings season as investors react to new earnings reports. You shouldn’t be too surprised to see stocks surge or decline depending on their results, while investors will keep a watchful eye on any indication from companies that the economy is struggling. And if you have student loans, you can apply for debt forgiveness using a simple form that the Department of Education released over the weekend. It’s a beta version of the form, intended to test out the system and find bugs before the official release later this month. Access will be available on and off for now. -Kristin
