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How to Find Strong Medical Stocks Slated for Positive Earnings Surprises
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Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.
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.
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 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.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Patterson Cos.
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. Patterson Cos. (PDCO - Free Report) holds a #1 (Strong Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.42 a share 27 days away from its upcoming earnings release on September 7, 2023.
Patterson Cos.'s Earnings ESP sits at +5.66%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.42 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.40. PDCO 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.
PDCO is one of just a large database of Medical stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Align Technology (ALGN - Free Report) .
Slated to report earnings on October 25, 2023, Align Technology holds a #1 (Strong Buy) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $2.28 a share 75 days from its next quarterly update.
For Align Technology, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.25 is +1.35%.
Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, PDCO and ALGN could potentially post earnings beats in their next reports.
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 Medical Stocks Slated for Positive Earnings Surprises
Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.
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.
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 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.
Most stocks, about 60%, fall into the #3 (Hold) category, and they are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with a #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) rating, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market, with Strong Buy stocks outperforming more than any other rank.
Should You Consider Patterson Cos.
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. Patterson Cos. (PDCO - Free Report) holds a #1 (Strong Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.42 a share 27 days away from its upcoming earnings release on September 7, 2023.
Patterson Cos.'s Earnings ESP sits at +5.66%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.42 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.40. PDCO 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.
PDCO is one of just a large database of Medical stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Align Technology (ALGN - Free Report) .
Slated to report earnings on October 25, 2023, Align Technology holds a #1 (Strong Buy) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $2.28 a share 75 days from its next quarterly update.
For Align Technology, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.25 is +1.35%.
Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, PDCO and ALGN could potentially post earnings beats in their next reports.
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 >>