We're about to find out just how bad corporate America's last 3 months really were
After the closing bell on Wednesday, aluminum giant Alcoa will report second-quarter earnings, unofficially kicking off reporting season.
In the first quarter, S&P 500 earnings grew 1.9% and revenues fell 3.2% year-over-year, according to RBC Capital Markets' scorecard.
And so, the earnings recession that some analysts predicted failed to materialize. But that doesn't mean the second quarter is expected to be good.
According to Factset, analysts are not expecting earnings growth until Q4 2015, and no revenue growth until Q1 2016. And ahead of second quarter earnings season, expectations are that overall S&P 500 earnings will actually be lower than they were in the first quarter.
To get you ready for the season, here are 6 things to look out for.