![\"2Q](\"http:\/\/www.profitconfidential.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/260713_PC_clark.jpg\" "\\"2Q")
<\/a>We\u2019re now into the full-blown earnings<\/a> blitz. On balance, the numbers are coming in pretty much as expected, often with one financial metric (revenues or earnings) not meeting Wall Street consensus.<\/p>\nIt is well known that corporate earnings<\/a> are managed, but what this market really wants to see is top-line revenue growth. That\u2019s the great indicator.<\/p>\n The pizza business is typically a good one; that\u2019s why there are so many chains. Domino\u2019s Pizza, Inc. (DPZ) has been on fire over the last three years. The company\u2019s domestic same-store sales increased a solid 6.7% in the second quarter. International same-store sales growth was 5.8%, representing the company\u2019s 78th consecutive quarter of same-store sales growth in foreign markets.<\/p>\n Revenues grew 10.1% to $414 million, while earnings grew an impressive 18.4% to $33.3 million in spite of higher costs for cheese.<\/p>\n Restaurant stocks are always a good indicator. (See \u201cHow Peter Lynch Got It Right 20 Years Ago<\/a>.\u201d) Domino\u2019s produced another solid quarter.<\/p>\n Moving to technology, Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN) used to be a stock market<\/a> darling, soaring eight-fold in the late-90s technology bubble.<\/p>\n The semiconductor company announced second-quarter numbers that surprised Wall Street, and the company\u2019s management team was upbeat about the third quarter.<\/p>\n Second-quarter revenues actually fell nine percent to $3.05 billion as the company winds down its wireless chip business to focus on core analog chips used in cars and televisions.<\/p>\n Earnings increased to $660 million, or $0.58 a share, up from $446 million, or $0.38 a share, including a $0.16 earnings-per-share gain.<\/p>\n The stock moved solidly higher after the company posted its results.<\/p>\n Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT) beat Wall Street consensus by a wide margin and raised its guidance even in the face of continuing budget cuts.<\/p>\n Ryder System, Inc. (R) met expectations, guiding third-quarter earnings in line, while narrowing its full-year expectations.<\/p>\n And TD Ameritrade Holding Corporation (AMTD), a really good indicator of business conditions in the brokerage business, reported fiscal third-quarter earnings of $183 million, or $0.33 per diluted share, representing a solid gain over earnings of $144 million, or $0.26 per diluted share generated in the same quarter last year.<\/p>\n The company\u2019s revenues grew to a record $725 million during the latest quarter, up solidly from $679 million on what management said was strength in commissions and asset management.<\/p>\n For equity investors, corporations are generally coming through so far and it\u2019s why the S&P 500 is at a record-high with nowhere left for cash to go.<\/p>\n The key to the current stock market rally is earnings results from smaller U.S. companies (who don\u2019t report as soon). This will be the tell-all for genuine economic growth.<\/p>\n My read is that the numbers will continue to be mildly positive and that the stock market\u2019s near-term uptrend is intact.<\/p>\n