Back to top

Image: Bigstock

These 2 Finance Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar

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.

Life and the stock market are both about expectations, and rising above what is expected is often rewarded, while falling short can come with negative consequences. Investors might want to try to capture stronger returns by finding positive 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 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.

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.

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 Wells Fargo?

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. Wells Fargo (WFC - Free Report) holds a #2 (Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.29 a share 28 days away from its upcoming earnings release on July 12, 2024.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.29 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.25 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Wells Fargo has an Earnings ESP of +2.75%. Investors should also know that WFC 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.

WFC is one of just a large database of Finance stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Virtu Financial (VIRT - Free Report) .

Virtu Financial is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on July 24, 2024. VIRT's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.59 a share 40 days from its next earnings release.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Virtu Financial is $0.59, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +0.28%.

WFC and VIRT'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:


Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) - free report >>

Virtu Financial, Inc. (VIRT) - free report >>

Published in