Corporate America has capped off an outstanding 2021 with an excellent fourth-quarter earnings season so far. Entering 2021, the consensus estimate for S&P 500 Index earnings per share (EPS) was less than $170. Now with fourth-quarter results mostly in the books, that number is 22% higher at $208. Here we recap another solid fourth-quarter earnings season and discuss what the results could mean for earnings growth and stock market performance in 2022.