Companies have generally managed to perform well against the consensus of earnings forecasts, with around 77% of S&P 500 firms reporting in Q1 considered earnings outperformers. That rate is higher than the normal rate of around 74% recorded in the first three months of a year, with earnings outperformers beating historical trends. The main theme of this quarter’s earnings reports has been artificial intelligence, with companies reporting soaring spending on the technology. Not surprisingly, AI-based and ad ...