Stock investors fret supply chain woes could knock earnings

Reopening demand and marooned containers have caused bottlenecks across supply chains just as the holiday shopping season kicks off in North America. It’s also prompting downgrades across analysts estimates for the upcoming earnings season. 
 

Few expect the supply snarls to end this year as an energy crisis stokes inflation fears. Caution abounds in the semiconductor, retail and raw material space. 

“The supply-chain problems are going to stay, leading to substantially higher prices, and major dislocations in parts of markets no one is expecting,” said George Ball, chairman of Houston-based investment firm Sanders Morris Harris. “Almost all segments of the economy that