We will have earnings reports from more than 400 US companies this week, among them 135 S&P 500 members. Some of the most prominent are:

3M (MMM), Amex (AXP), AT&T (T), Boeing (BA), Caterpillar (CAT), Coca-Cola (KO), DuPont (DD), McDonald’s (MCD), Merck & Co. (MRK), Microsoft (MSFT), Pfizer (PFE), Travelers (TRV) and United Technologies (UTX).

This week should be more telling, given the large number of companies reporting. Keep an eye on revenues, since that appears to be a stumbling block for many. Through Thursday (Oct 15) evening, the ratio of positive-to-negative revenue surprises is just 1.5:1. Conversely, the ratio of positive-to-negative earnings surprises is 6:1.

Source: www.Zacks.com