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4 Software Stocks Set to Beat Estimates This Earnings Season
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Software stocks’ quarterly performance is expected to have significantly benefited from an uptick in the demand for software-based services and products as a result of the coronavirus-led growing work-from-home and learn-from-home trends.
Increased spending by enterprises on software procurement, the growing proliferation of Software-as-a-Service or SaaS-based services, the rapid migration to cloud platforms, solid adoption of video-conferencing software and rising user penetration of online payment solutions are likely to have remained major tailwinds for software companies in the fourth-quarter 2020.
Solid performance delivered by Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) indicates resiliency in the software industry amid the ongoing pandemic. Its recently reported quarterly results were driven by strong momentum in Azure and impressive Teams user growth, triggered by ongoing digital transformation, and remote working and learning trend.
Further, PayPal’s (PYPL - Free Report) strong fourth-quarter 2020 results, which were driven by solid momentum across Venmo and strong customer engagement that led to a spike in its new active accounts, testifies to the same.
In addition to this, Aspen Technology, which reported second-quarter fiscal 2021 results, benefited from solid growth in its bookings.
Blackbaud (BLKB - Free Report) also benefited from the rapid migration of enterprises to cloud amid the pandemic-induced digitization in fourth-quarter 2020.
Prospects for Software Stocks
The spike in the adoption of cloud-based services, the increasing proliferation of IoT and AR/VR devices, and the accelerated deployment of 5G are expected to have aided the performances of software stocks this earnings season.
Strong momentum across enterprise collaboration software, remote desktop tools, natural language processing tool, time tracking tools and cyber security software is expected to have hugely favored the software industry in fourth-quarter 2020.
Additionally, the growing proliferation of AI-powered voice recognition, telemedicine, learning management, infrastructure monitoring and business spend management software is expected to have benefited the industry players in the quarter under review.
Further, enterprise workspace solutions, enterprise communication platforms, and online education portals, which have been high in demand throughout 2020, are likely to have contributed well.
How to Make the Right Choice?
With the presence of several industry participants, finding the right software stocks with the potential to beat on earnings can be daunting. Our proprietary methodology, however, makes this task fairly simple.
You could narrow down your choices by looking at the stocks that have the perfect combination of the two key elements — a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) and a positive Earnings ESP. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP is our proprietary methodology for determining the stocks that have the maximum chances of beating estimates at their next earnings announcement. It is the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Our research shows that for stocks with the apt mix of ingredients, the odds of a positive earnings surprise are as high as 70%.
Best Bets
Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD - Free Report) is slated to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Mar 16. The company presently has an Earnings ESP of +57.75% and a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been revised upward by 12.5% to 9 cents per share over the past 30 days. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
Pleasanton, CA-based Workday (WDAY - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Feb 25.The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.90% and a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been stable at 56 cents per share in the past 30 days.
Holon, Israel-based, Sapiens International Corporation (SPNS - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2020 numbers on Feb 25. The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.96% and a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been revised upward by 4% to 26 cents per share in the past 30 days.
Sapiens International Corporation N.V. Price and EPS Surprise
San Francisco, CA-based Twilio (TWLO - Free Report) is set to report fourth-quarter 2020 result on Feb 17. The company has an Earnings ESP of +34.78% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The consensus estimate for loss has been stable at 8 cents per share in the past 30 days.
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 best buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2021?
Last year's 2020 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +386.8%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
Image: Shutterstock
4 Software Stocks Set to Beat Estimates This Earnings Season
Software stocks’ quarterly performance is expected to have significantly benefited from an uptick in the demand for software-based services and products as a result of the coronavirus-led growing work-from-home and learn-from-home trends.
Increased spending by enterprises on software procurement, the growing proliferation of Software-as-a-Service or SaaS-based services, the rapid migration to cloud platforms, solid adoption of video-conferencing software and rising user penetration of online payment solutions are likely to have remained major tailwinds for software companies in the fourth-quarter 2020.
Solid performance delivered by Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) indicates resiliency in the software industry amid the ongoing pandemic. Its recently reported quarterly results were driven by strong momentum in Azure and impressive Teams user growth, triggered by ongoing digital transformation, and remote working and learning trend.
Further, PayPal’s (PYPL - Free Report) strong fourth-quarter 2020 results, which were driven by solid momentum across Venmo and strong customer engagement that led to a spike in its new active accounts, testifies to the same.
In addition to this, Aspen Technology, which reported second-quarter fiscal 2021 results, benefited from solid growth in its bookings.
Blackbaud (BLKB - Free Report) also benefited from the rapid migration of enterprises to cloud amid the pandemic-induced digitization in fourth-quarter 2020.
Prospects for Software Stocks
The spike in the adoption of cloud-based services, the increasing proliferation of IoT and AR/VR devices, and the accelerated deployment of 5G are expected to have aided the performances of software stocks this earnings season.
Strong momentum across enterprise collaboration software, remote desktop tools, natural language processing tool, time tracking tools and cyber security software is expected to have hugely favored the software industry in fourth-quarter 2020.
Additionally, the growing proliferation of AI-powered voice recognition, telemedicine, learning management, infrastructure monitoring and business spend management software is expected to have benefited the industry players in the quarter under review.
Further, enterprise workspace solutions, enterprise communication platforms, and online education portals, which have been high in demand throughout 2020, are likely to have contributed well.
How to Make the Right Choice?
With the presence of several industry participants, finding the right software stocks with the potential to beat on earnings can be daunting. Our proprietary methodology, however, makes this task fairly simple.
You could narrow down your choices by looking at the stocks that have the perfect combination of the two key elements — a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) and a positive Earnings ESP. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.
Earnings ESP is our proprietary methodology for determining the stocks that have the maximum chances of beating estimates at their next earnings announcement. It is the percentage difference between the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate.
Our research shows that for stocks with the apt mix of ingredients, the odds of a positive earnings surprise are as high as 70%.
Best Bets
Sunnyvale, CA-based CrowdStrike Holdings (CRWD - Free Report) is slated to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Mar 16. The company presently has an Earnings ESP of +57.75% and a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been revised upward by 12.5% to 9 cents per share over the past 30 days. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. price-eps-surprise | CrowdStrike Holdings Inc. Quote
Pleasanton, CA-based Workday (WDAY - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2021 results on Feb 25.The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.90% and a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been stable at 56 cents per share in the past 30 days.
Workday, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Workday, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Workday, Inc. Quote
Holon, Israel-based, Sapiens International Corporation (SPNS - Free Report) is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2020 numbers on Feb 25. The company currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.96% and a Zacks Rank #3. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings has been revised upward by 4% to 26 cents per share in the past 30 days.
Sapiens International Corporation N.V. Price and EPS Surprise
Sapiens International Corporation N.V. price-eps-surprise | Sapiens International Corporation N.V. Quote
San Francisco, CA-based Twilio (TWLO - Free Report) is set to report fourth-quarter 2020 result on Feb 17. The company has an Earnings ESP of +34.78% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The consensus estimate for loss has been stable at 8 cents per share in the past 30 days.
Twilio Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
Twilio Inc. price-eps-surprise | Twilio Inc. Quote
Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2021
In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 best buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2021?
Last year's 2020 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +386.8%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.
Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2021 today >>