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Q4 Investment outlook: Make Earnings Great Again

State Street Investment Management has identified the key considerations for investors in the coming quarter — and how to navigate markets with State Street exchange traded funds (ETFs).

tempo di lettura 6 min
Ryan Reardon profile picture
Senior Equity ETF Strategist

We expect Q3 earnings to be a significant driver of developed market equity returns in Q4. US equities remain constructive, with upgrades outpacing downgrades across all sectors this year. Our outlook is supported by strong sentiment indicators, improving analysts’ expectations, and our quality factor reflecting the superior health of US companies.

Investor risk appetite remains resilient, as indicated by the institutional positioning we detail in our investor behaviour analysis. With improving fundamentals, supportive policy shifts, and attractive valuations, investors might consider an increased exposure to small caps stocks.1

A quarter ago we expected a split in macroeconomic fundamentals, and the associated central bank responses, to drive a divergence in opportunities between the US and Europe. We warned investors of a synchronized slowing, with global GDP growth settling into a weaker range of 2.3% to 2.9% (currently 2.9% as of this publication).2 Our main concern was policy-induced uncertainty. We were right to highlight that underlying business dynamics — especially the earnings growth outlook — continue to support developed market equities.

Given the constructive outlook for risk assets, but mindful of valuation concerns, we highlight opportunities in Quality Aristocrats stocks, which have a track record of generating uninterrupted positive free cash flow (“FCF”), at higher margins and return on invested capital. The QUS5 | QUS5 : SPDR® S&P 500 Quality Aristocrats UCITS ETF (Acc) has outperformed the S&P 500 by 3.44% this year, and remains cheaper based on the price-to-earnings multiple. The fund is overweight communication services, financials, and technology — sectors which have seen strong positive change in estimated 2025 earnings-per-share (EPS) and beat the broader market in Q2 earnings growth. Communication services and Financials have also delivered above average surprises, and we believe this could happen again.3

The overweight positioning in high relative quality stocks is supported by the recent performance. Over the past two decades, including through periods of economic recession, US and developed market quality aristocrats outperform their respective market benchmarks by 1.6% and 4.2%, respectively, on a trailing 1-year basis (Figures 1 and 2).

Figure 1: 1-year Trailing Excess Returns** (S&P 500 Quality Aristocrats versus S&P 500)

Figure 2: 1-year trailing excess returns** (S&P DM Quality Aristocrats versus MSCI World)

Regional divergence

Europe’s economic growth differs from the US. Earnings continue to be most supported in sectors set to benefit from Europe’s expanding domestic defence capabilities, such as Industrials. A Dividend Aristocrats approach offers a balance between pro-cyclical sectors with strong earnings, like Industrials and Communication Services, and defensive sectors like Utilities. The EUDI | SPYW : SPDR® S&P® Euro Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF (Dist) is overweight all three sectors: Industrials (+1.3%), Utilities(+13.4%), and Communication Services(+2.8).

Investors should continue to focus exposure to areas of strong earnings growth, combined with sensible downside protection. In World and US equities, this means a Quality Aristocrats approach and in Europe, a Dividend Aristocrats strategy.

  • Developed Market and US Quality: Focus on companies growing earnings with robust balance sheets as measured by a track record of strong, high margin, free cash flow. These firms should weather economic uncertainty, protect margins, and navigate a high-cost-of-capital environment.
  • European dividend stocks: Strategic allocations to stable, income-generating European companies which deliver exposure to Europe's cyclical recovery, supportive policy environment, and attractive relative valuations, while providing a defensive yield cushion.

How can investors navigate market uncertainty?

World: SPDR® S&P Developed Quality Aristocrats UCITS ETF (Acc)
The SPDR® S&P Developed Quality Aristocrats UCITS ETF seeks to fully replicate the S&P Developed Quality FCF Aristocrats Index, which is comprised of developed markets stocks exhibiting higher quality characteristics relative to the overall companies in the parent S&P Developed Large and MidCap Index. Securities in the parent index must first satisfy the multiple consecutive years of positive free cash flow (“FCF”) criteria. Then, for the remaining securities, the top 100 securities with the highest “Quality Score” are selected as index constituents.

USA: SPDR® S&P 500 Quality Aristocrats UCITS ETF (Acc)

The SPDR® S&P 500 Quality Aristocrats UCITS ETF seeks to fully replicate the S&P 500 Quality FCF Aristocrats Index, which is comprised of US stocks exhibiting higher quality characteristics relative to the overall companies in the parent S&P 500 Index. Securities in the parent index must first satisfy the multiple consecutive years of positive free cash flow (“FCF”) criteria. Then, for the remaining securities, the top 100 securities with the highest “Quality Score” are selected as index constituents.

Eurozone: SPDR® S&P® Euro Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF (Dist)

The SPDR® S&P® Euro Dividend Aristocrats UCITS ETF seeks to fully replicate the S&P Euro High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® Index, which is comprised of the 40 highest dividend-yielding Eurozone companies within the S&P Europe Broad Market Index (BMI), as determined in accordance with the Index methodology, that have followed a managed dividends policy of increasing or stable dividends for at least 10 consecutive years.

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