4 Charts for Tuesday Afternoon -- Earnings, Natural Gas, Gold

Chart #1: Analysts Cut Earnings Estimates for S&P 500

Alcoa (AA) kicked off earnings season after the close.  Earnings beat estimates, though it came in a bit light on revenues. Importantly, it says global demand for aluminum is solid.

Analysts have been hacking away at earnings estimates. More than usual. On the chart, you can see how earnings usually go after a quarter ends.

Chart #2: Earnings Volatility

This chart from Bespoke Investment Group shows how volatile stocks in different sectors are on earnings day. Utilities stocks move the least in reaction to their earnings reports, with an average one-day change of just +/-2.15%.  Financial stocks are the second least volatile at +/-3.61%.

The most volatile? Technology stocks are the most volatile around earnings, with an average one-day change of +/-7.14%.  Consumer Discretionary stocks are the second-most volatile at +/-6.18%.

Read the original Bespoke report HERE.

Chart #3: Half of Power Plant Capacity Additions in 2013 Came from Natural Gas

Natural gas-fired power plants accounted for just over 50% of new utility-scale generating capacity added in 2013. Solar provided nearly 22%, a jump up from less than 6% in 2012. Coal provided 11% and wind nearly 8%. Almost half of all capacity added in 2013 was located in California. In total, a little over 13,500 megawatts (MW) of new capacity was added in 2013, less than half the capacity added in 2012.

Read the whole EIA report HERE.

Chart #4: Gold Bounces

(Updated chart)

And here are the screaming fundamentals for owning gold (with more chartage).

Oh, and Wall Street considers this next batch The Most Important Charts in The World. Do you agree?