Back to top

Image: Bigstock

How to Boost Your Portfolio with Top Finance Stocks Set to Beat Earnings

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

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.

Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained

The Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more 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.

Bringing together a positive earnings ESP alongside a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better has helped stocks report a positive earnings surprise 70% of the time. Furthermore, by using these parameters, investors have seen 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Stocks with a #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market. Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.

Should You Consider SL Green?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. SL Green (SLG - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) 30 days from its next quarterly earnings release on October 18, 2023, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.34 a share.

SLG has an Earnings ESP figure of +3.76%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $1.34 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.29. SL Green 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.

SLG is one of just a large database of Finance stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Progressive (PGR - Free Report) .

Progressive is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on October 12, 2023. PGR's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.74 a share 24 days from its next earnings release.

Progressive's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +7.88% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.62.

Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, SLG and PGR 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:


The Progressive Corporation (PGR) - free report >>

SL Green Realty Corporation (SLG) - free report >>

Published in