Corporate earnings to hit all-time highs... Really?! - Chart of the Day

Wheee! Corporate earnings will go to new all-time highs! Or - not? Economic conditions do make us wonder. Let's take a look at the earnings chart provided by the folks at http://www.chartoftheday.com, below. Call me a skeptic but I question whether this will be realistic - take a look and judge for yourself:

Chart of the Day - Corporate earnings expected to make record highs
Today's chart provides some further perspective into the past and future trends of 12-month, as-reported, inflation-adjusted S&P 500 earnings. Today's chart illustrates how earnings declined over 92% from its Q3 2007 pre-financial crisis peak and then, beginning in Q1 2009, quickly surged back to near record levels. This begs the question; will corporate earnings make new record highs? As today's chart illustrates, based on the latest S&P 500 earnings estimates (see red line), earnings are expected to make new, inflation-adjusted record highs during the first half of this year. Considering the current global economic environment, this is indeed quite an achievement.

Notes:

Where's the Dow headed? The answer may surprise you. Find out right now with the exclusive & Barron's recommended charts of Chart of the Day Plus.

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