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How to Find Strong Finance Stocks Slated for Positive Earnings Surprises

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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.

We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these 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.

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 ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), 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 Realty Income Corp.

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. Realty Income Corp. (O - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.02 a share 21 days away from its upcoming earnings release on May 3, 2023.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.02 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.01 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Realty Income Corp. has an Earnings ESP of +0.62%. Investors should also know that O 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.

O is part of a big group of Finance stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Extra Space Storage (EXR - Free Report) as well.

Extra Space Storage is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on May 2, 2023. EXR's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.06 a share 20 days from its next earnings release.

Extra Space Storage's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +0.24% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.05.

O and EXR'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


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Realty Income Corporation (O) - free report >>

Extra Space Storage Inc (EXR) - free report >>

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