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How to Find Strong Industrial Products Stocks Slated for Positive Earnings Surprises
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Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.
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.
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, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.
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.
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 A.O. Smith?
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. A.O. Smith (AOS - Free Report) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.98 a share, just seven days from its upcoming earnings release on July 27, 2023.
A.O. Smith's Earnings ESP sits at +5.87%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.98 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.93. AOS 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.
AOS is just one of a large group of Industrial Products stocks with a positive ESP figure. Illinois Tool Works (ITW - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.
Illinois Tool Works is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on August 1, 2023. ITW's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.40 a share 12 days from its next earnings release.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Illinois Tool Works is $2.39, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +0.54%.
AOS and ITW'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 >>
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How to Find Strong Industrial Products Stocks Slated for Positive Earnings Surprises
Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.
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.
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, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate.
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.
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 A.O. Smith?
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. A.O. Smith (AOS - Free Report) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.98 a share, just seven days from its upcoming earnings release on July 27, 2023.
A.O. Smith's Earnings ESP sits at +5.87%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.98 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.93. AOS 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.
AOS is just one of a large group of Industrial Products stocks with a positive ESP figure. Illinois Tool Works (ITW - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.
Illinois Tool Works is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on August 1, 2023. ITW's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.40 a share 12 days from its next earnings release.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Illinois Tool Works is $2.39, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +0.54%.
AOS and ITW'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 >>