Back to top

Image: Bigstock

These 2 Computer and Technology Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar

Read MoreHide Full Article

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.

The core of the ESP model is comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the resulting percentage difference between the two equals the Expected Surprise Prediction. The Zacks Rank is also factored into the ESP metric to better help find companies that appear poised to top their next bottom-line consensus estimate, which will hopefully help lift the stock price.

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 ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), 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 BILL Holdings?

Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. BILL Holdings (BILL - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.43 a share, just seven days from its upcoming earnings release on February 8, 2024.

BILL has an Earnings ESP figure of +6.17%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.43 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.41. BILL Holdings 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.

BILL 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 Etsy (ETSY - Free Report) as well.

Slated to report earnings on February 28, 2024, Etsy holds a #3 (Hold) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $0.80 a share 27 days from its next quarterly update.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Etsy is $0.78, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +3.17%.

BILL and ETSY's positive ESP metrics may signal that a positive earnings surprise for both stocks is on the horizon.

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:


Etsy, Inc. (ETSY) - free report >>

BILL Holdings, Inc. (BILL) - free report >>

Published in