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Why Investors Need to Take Advantage of These 2 Medical Stocks Now

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Quarterly financial reports play a vital role on Wall Street, as they help investors see how a company has performed and what might be coming down the road in the near-term. And out of all of the metrics and results to consider, earnings is one of the most important.

We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.

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 is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information.

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 Astrazeneca?

The last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to quickly look at a qualifying stock. Astrazeneca (AZN - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.07 a share 30 days away from its upcoming earnings release on July 28, 2023.

AZN has an Earnings ESP figure of +8.26%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $1.07 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.99. Astrazeneca is one of a large database 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.

AZN is one of just a large database of Medical stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Bluebird Bio (BLUE - Free Report) .

Bluebird Bio is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on August 3, 2023. BLUE's Most Accurate Estimate sits at -$0.65 a share 36 days from its next earnings release.

Bluebird Bio's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +10.14% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of -$0.72.

Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, AZN and BLUE could potentially post earnings beats in their next reports.

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 >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


AstraZeneca PLC (AZN) - free report >>

bluebird bio, Inc. (BLUE) - free report >>

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