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Summary
What do 2025 earnings reveal about the year ahead, and which companies are positioned to lead in 2026?
In this webinar, our panel will review key results and trends from 2025, including S&P 500 constituent earnings, index performance and fundamentals, and the themes that shaped company performance across sectors — setting the context for what may lie ahead in 2026.
We’ll then take a closer look at select companies, including several from the “Magnificent 7”, through a deep dive into their strategies, growth drivers, and market dynamics that could impact performance in 2026. The session will conclude with a brief demonstration in Capital IQ Pro, showing how these insights can be explored further, followed by a live Q&A with our panelists.
Speakers
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Melissa Otto, CFA
Head of Visible Alpha Research
Melissa is Head of Visible Alpha Research at S&P Global. She focuses on understanding AI applications and the role of the mega-cap technology stocks, while integrating Visible Alpha and CapIQ tools into a broad range of investment research topics, sectors and persona workflows. Prior to joining Visible Alpha, she spent 20+ years as an equity analyst and portfolio manager, investing in global technology and consumer stocks and the Pan-Asia region. In addition to her equity investing career, Melissa worked with engineering teams at data providers and Microsoft Azure building cloud-based solutions to centralize and aggregate critical investment data for investors.
Melissa studied Japanese at Harvard University, received her MA in economics from Brandeis University and MS degree from the University of Pennsylvania, and is a CFA charterholder. She is certified in Azure Fundamentals and Agile Project Management and recently completed The Business of AI course at Columbia Business School. She is a frequent media commentator on equities in the US and abroad.
S&P Dow Jones Indices
Hamish Preston
Head of U.S. Equities
Hamish Preston is Director, U.S. Equity Indices at S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI). Hamish is responsible for providing insights and thought leadership on S&P DJI’s U.S. equity index suite, including the S&P 500® and The Dow®, and he assists with the development of new benchmarks for market participants and promotes their potential applications. He is also a frequent contributor to financial media outlets. Prior to his current role, Hamish worked in Global Research & Design at S&P DJI, where he was responsible for conceptualization, research, and design covering global strategy, factor-based, alternative beta, and thematic equity indices. Previously, Hamish worked in Index Investment Strategy at S&P DJI, providing research and commentary on the entire S&P DJI product set, including U.S. and global equities, commodities, fixed income, and economic indices. Hamish is a CFA charterholder, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from the London School of Economics, and graduated with distinction from the University of Birmingham with a master’s degree in financial economics.
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Nicholas Ephraim
Director, Product Management & Development
Nick is currently an Associate Director on our CIQ Solutions Business Development team, supporting Capital Markets clients in the Americas. Prior to his role within the product organization, he was a Relationship Manager for Investment Management clients. Nick started his career with S&P on the Client Development team supporting strategic accounts. He received his undergraduate degree from SUNY New Paltz and MBA from Baruch College's Zicklin School of Business in NYC.
S&P Global Market Intelligence
Michael Patton
Global Head of Business Development
Michael Patton is a senior director within Data Management Solutions global product management team at S&P Global Market Intelligence, overseeing various quantitative datasets, including its Global Earnings Estimates, Ownership, Transactions and Transcripts business. He is responsible for the overall maintenance of each of these product offerings, as well as a continued focus to uncover new growth opportunities in the marketplace. He is also actively involved in many of the company’s strategic partnerships.
Prior to joining S&P Global Market Intelligence in early 2008, Mr. Patton was a Sales Executive at the Bank of New York, where he sold independent research to institutional clients across the Northeast and Southwest regions. Mr. Patton began his financial career at Thomson Financial where. During his stay, he held various sales roles including managing large institutional accounts throughout North America.
Mr. Patton holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan.
Questions?
Please contact us if you need more information or have trouble accessing the webinar.