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Why Investors Need to Take Advantage of These 2 Oils and Energy Stocks Now

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Wall Street watches a company's quarterly report closely to understand as much as possible about its recent performance and what to expect going forward. Of course, one figure often stands out among the rest: earnings.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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 Chevron?

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. Chevron (CVX - Free Report) holds a #2 (Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $3.60 a share 17 days away from its upcoming earnings release on October 27, 2023.

Chevron's Earnings ESP sits at +4.42%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $3.60 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.45. CVX 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.

CVX is part of a big group of Oils and Energy stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Marathon Oil (MRO - Free Report) as well.

Slated to report earnings on November 1, 2023, Marathon Oil holds a #2 (Buy) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $0.72 a share 22 days from its next quarterly update.

For Marathon Oil, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.66 is +8.38%.

Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, CVX and MRO 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 >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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Chevron Corporation (CVX) - free report >>

Marathon Oil Corporation (MRO) - free report >>

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