The world will finally get a peek into the finances of troubled US banks this week as earnings season gets under way, but recent accounting changes mean investors might not know what to make of them.

Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and JP Morgan will report their first-quarter results. Yet after a relaxation of accounting standards, analysts say it will be difficult to gauge losses from bad loans in areas like real estate and consumer credit.

Many analysts believe clearing out massive financial-sector losses, which the International Monetary Fund estimates will reach $1.4 trillion, is key to reviving economic activity around the globe.

“It doesn’t engender great enthusiasm,” said Joseph Battipaglia, market strategist at Stifel Nicolaus in Yardley, Pa.