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Want Better Returns? Don?t Ignore These 2 Consumer Staples Stocks Set to Beat Earnings

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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.

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.

In fact, when we combined a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, stocks produced a positive surprise 70% of the time. Perhaps most importantly, using these parameters has helped produce 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 Kimberly-Clark?

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. Kimberly-Clark (KMB - Free Report) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.71 a share, just 29 days from its upcoming earnings release on July 23, 2024.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.71 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.67 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Kimberly-Clark has an Earnings ESP of +2.25%. Investors should also know that KMB 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.

KMB is just one of a large group of Consumer Staples stocks with a positive ESP figure. Dutch Bros (BROS - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Dutch Bros, which is readying to report earnings on August 13, 2024, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. It's Most Accurate Estimate is currently $0.15 a share, and BROS is 50 days out from its next earnings report.

For Dutch Bros, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.12 is +20.69%.

KMB and BROS' positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.

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


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Kimberly-Clark Corporation (KMB) - free report >>

Dutch Bros Inc. (BROS) - free report >>

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