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The 5 Most Important Stocks to Watch During Q2 Earnings Season

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While thousands of companies will report second quarter earnings in the next few weeks, there are a handful of companies that are “must-see” earnings reports. These are some of the best known, and most popular, companies.

All eyes will be on these five for a variety of reasons. Several are part of the Magnificent 7. Many investors own those 7 large cap stocks. But several others are simply popular growth stocks that have hit new all-time highs in 2024.

Q2’s Must-See Earnings Reports

What will they say about the US, and global, economies? Is the recession here or will the Fed achieve a soft landing?

Several companies are booming thanks to the AI revolution. Will AI still be a driver of earnings and sales in Q2?

While there are a lot of companies that people will be tuning into during this earnings season, these 5 are the most important of all. You won’t want to miss them.

The 5 Most Important Stocks to Watch During Q2 Earnings Season

1.    Apple Inc. (AAPL - Free Report) has surprised on earnings 5 quarters in a row. In fact, it has a great earnings surprise track record with just 1 miss in the last 5 years and that was in early 2023.

Apple shares are up 19% year-to-date and are hitting all-time highs. Yet Apple trades at 35x forward earnings. Is Apple too hot to handle?

2.    Eli Lilly and Co. (LLY - Free Report) has beat 4 quarters in a row. That is a turnaround from a string of misses in 2021 and 2022.

Eli Lilly has been one of the hottest stocks on the Street. It is up 55.4% year-to-date. Eli Lilly is trading with a high valuation, as it has a forward P/E of 70. Will Eli Lilly continue to execute?

3.    Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (CMG - Free Report) has beat 5 quarters in a row. It also has a solid 5-year earnings surprise track record, with just 3 misses during that time. That is impressive given the pandemic.

Shares of Chipotle are up 21% year-to-date and hit new all-time highs. However, Chipotle isn’t cheap. It trades with a forward P/E of 51. Can Chipotle continue with the 20%+ earnings growth this quarter?

4.    Microsoft Corp. (MSFT - Free Report) has a great earnings surprise record. Microsoft has beat 7 quarters in a row. It has only missed once in the last 5 years and it was in 2022.

Microsoft shares hit new all-time highs in 2024. It is up 18% year-to-date. Microsoft isn’t cheap, however. It trades at 34x forward earnings. Will AI prove to be another catalyst for Microsoft in Q2?

5.    Super Micro Computer, Inc. (SMCI - Free Report) has an excellent earnings surprise track record. It’s beat 4 quarters in a row. Super Micro Computer has only missed once since 2020.

Shares of Super Micro Computer have been red-hot in 2024, gaining 187% year-to-date on the AI trade. It reports earnings in Aug 2024. Super Micro is trading at 26x. Is Super Micro Computer a good bellwether of what’s to come with the other AI stocks this earnings season?

[In full disclosure, Tracey owns shares of MSFT in her personal portfolio.]

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