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How to Boost Your Portfolio with Top Computer and Technology Stocks Set to Beat Earnings

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Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.

The earnings figure itself is key, of course, but a beat or miss on the bottom line can sometimes be just as, if not more, important. Therefore, investors should consider paying close attention to these earnings surprises, as a big beat can help a stock climb and vice versa.

The ability to identify stocks that are likely to top quarterly earnings expectations can be profitable, but it's no simple task. Here at Zacks, our Earnings ESP filter helps make things easier.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained

The Zacks Earnings ESP, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.

With this in mind, the Expected Surprise Prediction compares the Most Accurate Estimate (being the most recent) against the overall Zacks Consensus Estimate. The percentage difference provides the ESP figure. The system also utilizes our core Zacks Rank to provide a stronger system for identifying stocks that might beat their next quarterly earnings estimate and possibly see the stock price climb.

When we join a positive earnings ESP with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or stronger, stocks posted a positive bottom-line surprise 70% of the time. Plus, this system saw investors produce roughly 28% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.

Should You Consider Intuit?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Intuit (INTU - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) seven days from its next quarterly earnings release on February 23, 2023, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.44 a share.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.44 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.43 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Intuit has an Earnings ESP of +0.42%. Investors should also know that INTU is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

INTU is part of a big group of Computer and Technology stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Qualcomm (QCOM - Free Report) as well.

Slated to report earnings on April 26, 2023, Qualcomm holds a #3 (Hold) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $2.16 a share 69 days from its next quarterly update.

For Qualcomm, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.15 is +0.31%.

INTU and QCOM's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.

Find Stocks to Buy or Sell Before They're Reported

Use the Zacks Earnings ESP Filter to turn up stocks with the highest probability of positively, or negatively, surprising to buy or sell before they're reported for profitable earnings season trading. Check it out here >>

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