Sometimes it can be dangerous to pictorialize the market. Stocks are more than a mere collection of information. The market has an ever-changing personality, and risk lies in its many unpredictable moods.
Still, pictures can be an important part of making of a plan. They're an ideal means of getting a feel for things rather than gaining a mere understanding for past and projected numbers. They're also a fast way of doing so, allowing investors to process a lot of data in short order. That's why took a look at three market-related charts a month ago -- it was a simple way to glean a lot of important information in a small amount of time.
There's a small universe of other data we can chart to gain a better understating of the market's state, however. Here's a look at two more and an update of one of July's charts, the S&P 500's earnings trend. Now halfway through the second quarter earnings season, the corporate profit outlook has taken a solid turn for the better.