Back to top

Image: Bigstock

4 Top Stocks to Buy on Blockbuster Earnings Growth

Read MoreHide Full Article

Right from the top brass to research analysts, constant earnings growth enthralls everyone. And why not? If the company doesn’t make money, it won’t stand the test of time. Take a company’s revenues over a given period of time, subtract the cost of production and you will have its earnings!

This metric is also considered to be the most noteworthy variable in influencing the share price. Better-than-expected earnings performances normally lead to a rally in the share price. However, in addition to actual earnings, expectations of earnings play a significant role in influencing the price of a stock.

Earnings Estimates Shape Share Prices

We have often seen a decline in the stock price despite earnings growth and a rally in the price following an earnings decline. This is largely a result of a company’s earnings failing to meet market expectations.

Earnings estimates embody analysts’ opinions of factors such as sales growth, product demand, competitive industry environment, profit margins and cost control. Thus, earnings estimates serve as a valuable tool while taking investment decisions. Earnings estimates also help analysts assess the cash flow to determine the fair value of a firm.

As the earnings season picks up pace, investors should be on the lookout for stocks that are ready to make a big move. Hence, it is important for investors to invest in stocks that have historical earnings growth and are also seeing a rise in quarterly and annual earnings estimates.

Screening Parameters:

In order to shortlist stocks that have striking earnings growth and positive estimate revisions, we added the following parameters:

Zacks Rank equal to 1 (Only Zacks' 'Strong Buys' are allowed. With the Zacks Rank proving itself to be one of the best rating systems out there, this is a great way to start things off.) You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

5-Year Historical EPS Growth (%) greater than X-Industry (Stocks that possess strong EPS growth history.)

% Change EPS F(0)/F(-1) greater than or equal to 5 (Companies that witnessed year-over-year earnings growth rate of 5% or more in the last reported fiscal.)

% Change Q1 Estimates over the last 4 weeks greater than zero (Stocks that have seen their current quarter earnings estimates revised higher in the last 4 weeks.)

% Change F1 Estimates over the last 1 week greater than zero (Stocks that have seen their annual earnings estimates revised higher in the last 1 week.)

% Change F1 Estimates over the last 4 weeks greater than zero (Stocks that have seen their annual earnings estimates revised higher in the last 4 weeks.)

The above criteria narrowed down the universe of around 7,886 stocks to only 11. Here are the top four stocks:

BioTelemetry, Inc. (BEAT - Free Report) is a mobile and wireless medical technology company that provides cardiac and mobile blood glucose monitoring (BGM), centralized medical imaging, and original equipment manufacturing services for the healthcare and clinical research industries. The company’s estimated earnings growth rate for this year is 45.4%, higher than the industry’s projected gain of 26.9%.

Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO - Free Report) develops analytic, software, and data management products and services that enable businesses to automate, enhance, and connect decisions. The company’s estimated earnings growth rate for this year is 31.1%, higher than the industry’s projected gain of 9.3%.

Comerica Incorporated (CMA - Free Report) provides various financial products and services. The company operates through three segments: Business Bank, the Retail Bank and Wealth Management. The company’s estimated earnings growth rate for this year is 48.3%, higher than the industry’s projected gain of 27%.

Blue Hills Bancorp, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Blue Hills Bank that provides financial services to individuals, families, small to mid-size businesses, government, and non-profit organizations in Massachusetts. The company’s estimated earnings growth rate for this year is 64.3%, higher than the industry’s projected gain of 24.7%.

You can get the rest of the stocks on this list by signing up now for your 2-week free trial to the Research Wizard and start using this screen in your own trading. Further, you can also create your own strategies and test them first before taking the investment plunge.

The Research Wizard is a great place to begin. It's easy to use. Everything is in plain language. And it's very intuitive. Start your Research Wizard trial today. And the next time you read an economic report, open up the Research Wizard, plug your finds in, and see what gems come out.

Click here to sign up for a free trial to the Research Wizard today.

Disclosure: Officers, directors and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.

Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance

Zacks Restaurant Recommendations: In addition to dining at these special places, you can feast on their stock shares. A Zacks Special Report spotlights 5 recent IPOs to watch plus 2 stocks that offer immediate promise in a booming sector. Download it free »


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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


Comerica Incorporated (CMA) - free report >>

Fair Isaac Corporation (FICO) - free report >>

HeartBeam, Inc. (BEAT) - free report >>