Q3 Earnings Beat Rate

Wal-Mart's (WMT) earnings report last week marked the unofficial end to the third quarter reporting period.  Of the more than 2,100 US stocks that reported during earnings season, 57% beat analyst estimates.  As shown below, this is the lowest reading since Q4 '01, but it is still well above the lowest levels seen during the '00 to '02 bear market.