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Why Investors Need to Take Advantage of These 2 Finance Stocks Now

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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.

Hunting for 'earnings whispers' or companies poised to beat their quarterly earnings estimates is a somewhat common practice. But that doesn't make it easy. One way that has been proven to work is by using the Zacks Earnings ESP tool.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained

The Zacks Earnings ESP is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete 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.

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.

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 Virtu Financial?

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. Virtu Financial (VIRT - Free Report) holds a #2 (Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.61 a share eight days away from its upcoming earnings release on July 18, 2024.

Virtu Financial's Earnings ESP sits at +0.55%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.61 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.60. VIRT is also part of a large group of stocks that boast a positive ESP. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

VIRT is part of a big group of Finance stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Simon Property (SPG - Free Report) as well.

Simon Property is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on August 7, 2024. SPG's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.93 a share 28 days from its next earnings release.

Simon Property's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +0.11% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.93.

VIRT and SPG's 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


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Simon Property Group, Inc. (SPG) - free report >>

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

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