Wall St Week Ahead-Cloudy valuations give investors pause in buying beaten-up US stocks

While S&P 500 earnings are expected to rise nearly 10% in 2022, according to Refinitiv IBES, some market participants doubt those estimates will hold up in the face of surging inflation and tightening financial conditions.

NEW YORK: Whipsawing bond yields, surging oil prices and a Federal Reserve bent on squashing the worst inflation in four decades are hampering investors' ability to assess U.S. stock valuations, even as the market's tumble creates potential bargains.

Without a doubt, stocks are far cheaper than at the start of the year, following a 23% year-to-date decline in the S&P 500 .SPXthat confirmed a bear market for the index earlier this week.