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Top 5 Nasdaq Stocks Set to Beat Earnings Estimates Next Week

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We are in the middle of the fourth-quarter 2020 earnings season, which has so far delivered better-than-expected results. Although overall earnings declined in the last three reported quarters primarily due to severe coronavirus-induced economic devastations, the final results were far better than what were expected at the start of the reporting cycles. Investors will closely monitor fourth-quarter results to see if they resemble the last three quarters.

Meanwhile, five Nasdaq Composite listed technology stocks with a favorable Zacks Rank are poised to beat on earnings results next week. Investment in these stocks should provide good returns to investors going forward.

Q4 At a Glance

The momentum of U.S. economic recovery slowed down in fourth quarter 2020. The resurgence of coronavirus in several states has forced local governments to re-impose partial lockdown and restrict daily economic activities even during the holiday season. Moreover, the lack of a fresh round of fiscal stimulus owing to disagreement in the U.S. Congress dented consumers' confidence.

The fourth-quarter GDP grew at 4% annual rate compared with the previous quarter in which the GDP grew at a 33.4% annual rate. The consensus estimate was 4.4%. Measured from the fourth quarter to the fourth quarter of the previous year, the GDP declined 2.5%.

However, the Nasdaq Composite rallied 15.4% in the fourth quarter. The composition of Nasdaq Composite is inclined toward the technology sector. Strong performance by technology behemoths lifted Nasdaq Composite's performance last quarter.

Better-Than-Expected Fourth-Quarter Earnings Results So Far

As of Jan 27, 114 S&P 500 companies reported their quarterly results. Total earnings of these companies were down 4% from the same period last year on 0.6% higher revenues, with 83.3% beating EPS estimates and 77.2% beating revenue estimates.

Overall, the fourth-quarter earnings for the S&P 500 Index are projected to be down 5.6% year over year on 1% higher revenues. This is a notable improvement over the projection of a 7.8% decline in earnings on 0.3% higher revenues at the beginning of the reporting cycle.

Notably, first-quarter earnings were down 12.8% year over year on 1.6% higher revenues. Second-quarter earnings plunged 32.2% on 9.3% lower revenues. Third-quarter earnings dropped 7% year over year on 0.7% lower revenues. The fourth-quarter earnings estimates were steadily improving since July 2020. (Read More: A Positive and Reassuring Earnings Picture)

Our Top Picks

We have narrowed down our search to five Nasdaq-listed technology stocks slated to release earnings results next week. Each of these stocks carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and has a positive Earnings ESP. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Our research shows that for stocks with the combination of a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, the chance of an earnings beat is as high as 70%. These stocks are anticipated to appreciate after the earnings releases. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

The chart below shows the price performance of our five picks in the last quarter.

 

Littelfuse Inc. (LFUS - Free Report) provides products that are vital components in virtually every market that uses electrical energy, from consumer electronics to automobiles, commercial vehicles and industrial equipment. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1 and an Earnings ESP of +5.02% for fourth-quarter 2020.

Littelfuse has an expected earnings growth rate of 30.2% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.5% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 60.2%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Feb 3, before the opening bell.

Silicon Motion Technology Corp. (SIMO - Free Report) designs, develops and markets NAND flash controllers for solid state storage devices worldwide. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #1 and an Earnings ESP of +2.03% for fourth-quarter 2020.

Silicon Motion Technology has an expected earnings growth rate of 6.9% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 6.8% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 10.6%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Feb 3, after the closing bell.

Qorvo Inc. (QRVO - Free Report) develops and commercializes technologies and products for wireless and wired connectivity worldwide. It operates in two segments, Mobile Products, and Infrastructure and Defense Products. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +0.78% for third-quarter fiscal 2021 (ended Dec 31).

Qorvo has an expected earnings growth rate of 37% for the current year (ending March 2021). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.3% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 19.2%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Feb 3, after the closing bell.

CDW Corp. (CDW - Free Report) provides integrated IT solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the U.K. and Canada. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +6.74% for fourth-quarter 2020.

CDW has an expected earnings growth rate of 5.7% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.5% over the last 7 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 11.1%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Feb 4, before the opening bell.

Synaptics Inc. (SYNA - Free Report) is a leader in designing and marketing human interface solutions such as touchpads for notebook computers, capacitive touch screen controllers for handsets and biometric fingerprint sensors for mobile devices. The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +1.42% for second-quarter fiscal 2021 (ended Dec 31).

Synaptics has an expected earnings growth rate of 16.6% for the current year (ending June 2021). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.2% over the last 7 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 17.3%, on average. The company is set to release earnings results on Feb 4, after the closing bell.

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