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Why Investors Need to Take Advantage of These 2 Consumer Discretionary Stocks Now

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Wall Street watches a company's quarterly report closely to understand as much as possible about its recent performance and what to expect going forward. Of course, one figure often stands out among the rest: earnings.

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 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.

Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks ESP figure.

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.

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 MGM Resorts?

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. MGM Resorts (MGM - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.72 a share 27 days away from its upcoming earnings release on February 13, 2024.

By taking the percentage difference between the $0.72 Most Accurate Estimate and the $0.66 Zacks Consensus Estimate, MGM Resorts has an Earnings ESP of +10.13%. Investors should also know that MGM 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.

MGM is just one of a large group of Consumer Discretionary stocks with a positive ESP figure. BJ's Wholesale Club (BJ - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

BJ's Wholesale Club, which is readying to report earnings on March 14, 2024, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. It's Most Accurate Estimate is currently $1.05 a share, and BJ is 57 days out from its next earnings report.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for BJ's Wholesale Club is $1.04, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +0.96%.

Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, MGM and BJ 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:


MGM Resorts International (MGM) - free report >>

BJ's Wholesale Club Holdings, Inc. (BJ) - free report >>

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