The storylines you need to know heading into earnings season

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Oh, earnings season, how we missed you.

There is a lot going on in the world these days that has the market's attention (to put it mildly). But companies reporting earnings over the next month and a half are bound to grab some of the spotlight.

And according to Deutsche Bank, it's set to be a BIG one. The German bank is projecting 19% earnings growth for Q1, above Wall Street's consensus of 16%.

Let's break down a couple of the key storylines at companies in the biggest sectors:

(Note: Day of earnings announcement is in parentheses unless the company has yet to confirm an exact date.)

Wall Street

Blackstone (April 23): "Private credit" is basically a swear word these days. Investors are growing increasingly jittery about the asset class's stability. Blackstone sits at the center of the ongoing debate, after its retail credit fund was hit with a slew of redemptions.

JPMorgan (April 14): During times of uncertainty, it's nice to hear from someone who's been there before. JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon, unofficially America's banker, fits the bill. He shared a lot of thoughts in his recent annual letter to shareholders, but he's rarely at a loss for words.

Big Tech

Nvidia (May 20): Sure, Big Tech's AI spending matters. The real bellwether for the industry remains Nvidia revenue numbers. As long as they continue to climb, it shows the appetite is still there. A stumble? Buckle up.

Tesla (April 22): Cars. Robots. Whatever. I guess all that stuff matters. The bigger focus is on Elon Musk's other company. SpaceX is preparing for what could be a record-setting IPO. Tesla has a small stake in SpaceX, but that's not really the point. In the Muskonomy, the lines are always a bit blurry. So what does SpaceX's arrival on the public market mean for Tesla?

Consumer

Target (late May): Can Target get its groove back? It's hoping a new CEO and AI can get it there. Have they thought about leaning more into the dog?

Walmart (May 21): Meanwhile, Walmart keeps scooping market share. That includes high-income shoppers heading there amid an uncertain economy. But Walmart's gain could actually be the wider economy's loss, according to a recession indicator tied to the chain.

Media

Disney (Early May): For the first time in more than 20 years, someone named "Bob" isn't running the Mouse House's earnings call. New CEO Josh D'Amaro gets his first crack in the big seat after Bob Iger's two runs (along with a sprinkle of Bob Chapek). He's got his work cut out for him.

Paramount (Early May): The deal for Warner Bros isn't closed, but it'll surely be the talk of the earnings call. David Ellison's reimagination of the legacy media giant has Hollywood enthralled.

Energy

Chevron (May 1), Exxon (Early May): I wouldn't normally highlight energy companies. (A 10-month stint covering commodities back in the day hardly made me an aficionado.) Still, with the Strait of Hormuz and oil prices remaining key global focus, investors are interested in what these American oil and gas giants have to say.