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Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights: Meta Platforms, General Electric and American Air Lines

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For Immediate Release

Chicago, IL – April 19, 2023 – Today, Zacks Investment Ideas feature highlights Meta Platforms (META - Free Report) , General Electric (GE - Free Report) and American Air Lines (AAL - Free Report) .

Don't Overlook These 3 Upcoming Earnings Reports

Earnings season is always an exciting time to be an investor, with companies finally pulling the curtain back and unveiling what's transpired behind closed doors.

As usual, the big banks opened the season, with things shifting into a higher gear this week.

For those seeking companies that could positively surprise during the action-packed period, Meta Platforms, General Electric and American Air Lines could all be contenders. 

Currently, all three sport a positive Zacks Earnings ESP.

Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) finds companies that have recently seen positive earnings estimate revision activity. The idea is that more recent information is more accurate and can better predict the future, providing investors an advantage in earnings season.

Meta Platforms

An investor favorite, Meta Platforms, has seen its near-term earnings outlook shift bright over the last several months, landing the stock into a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Currently, META has an Earnings ESP Score of 7.8%, with earnings expected on April 26th.

The company posted a big beat in its latest release, surpassing the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate by more than 40% and delivering a 3% sales surprise. Below is a chart illustrating the market's reaction to previous quarterly releases.

For the quarter to be reported, the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate of $1.96 indicates a pullback within earnings year-over-year. In addition, the company's top line is also forecasted to retrace marginally, with the $27.5 billion quarterly estimate indicating a 1.5% Y/Y decline.

American Airlines

American Airlines' earnings outlook has improved substantially across all timeframes over the last 60 days, reflecting bullish sentiment among analysts. Currently, AAL has an Earnings ESP Score of 67%, with earnings scheduled to hit on April 27th.

The company's growth is hard to ignore; the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate of $0.04 for the quarter to be reported implies an improvement of 100% year-over-year. Further, our consensus revenue estimate stands at $12.3 billion, nearly 40% higher than year-ago quarterly sales of $8.9 billion.

The company's revenue has recovered from the pandemic shock, with sales now eclipsing pre-pandemic levels.

General Electric

Like the stocks above, General Electric has witnessed positive earnings estimate revisions, helping push the stock into the highly-coveted Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). GE currently has an Earnings ESP Score of 10.1%, with earnings expected to drop on April 25th.

The market reacted well to the company's latest earnings release, as we can see illustrated in the chart below. General Electric posted earnings of $1.24 per share, reflecting a solid 12% beat. Impressively, the company boasts a 28% four-quarter trailing average EPS beat.

Regarding the upcoming release, the Zacks Consensus EPS Estimate of $0.13 indicates a decline in earnings from the year-ago quarter. The company's top line is forecasted to witness a slowdown also, with the $13.4 billion quarterly estimate implying a decline of roughly 20% year-over-year.

Bottom Line

With earnings season shifting into higher gear, investors will remain busy sorting through quarterly prints daily. We've already received results from many big banks, with the majority posting better-than-expected results.

And for those seeking stocks that can positively surprise, all three above – Meta Platforms, General Electric and American Air Lines – deserve a watchlist spot.

When combining a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, the chance of a bottom line beat is as high as 70%, according to our 10-year backtest.

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Past performance is no guarantee of future results. Inherent in any investment is the potential for loss. This material is being provided for informational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. It should not be assumed that any investments in securities, companies, sectors or markets identified and described were or will be profitable. All information is current as of the date of herein and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Zacks Investment Research does not engage in investment banking, market making or asset management activities of any securities. These returns are from hypothetical portfolios consisting of stocks with Zacks Rank = 1 that were rebalanced monthly with zero transaction costs. These are not the returns of actual portfolios of stocks. The S&P 500 is an unmanaged index. Visit https://www.zacks.com/performancefor information about the performance numbers displayed in this press release.


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GE Aerospace (GE) - free report >>

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