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.

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.

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 #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 Air Products and Chemicals?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Air Products and Chemicals (APD Quick QuoteAPD - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) 17 days from its next quarterly earnings release on November 7, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $3.50 a share.

By taking the percentage difference between the $3.50 Most Accurate Estimate and the $3.44 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Air Products and Chemicals has an Earnings ESP of +1.63%. Investors should also know that APD 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.

APD is one of just a large database of Basic Materials stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is B2Gold (BTG Quick QuoteBTG - Free Report) .

Slated to report earnings on November 6, 2024, B2Gold holds a #3 (Hold) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $0.07 a share 16 days from its next quarterly update.

B2Gold's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +31.25% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.05.

APD and BTG'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 >>