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How to Find Strong Consumer Discretionary Stocks Slated for Positive Earnings Surprises

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Quarterly financial reports play a vital role on Wall Street, as they help investors see how a company has performed and what might be coming down the road in the near-term. And out of all of the metrics and results to consider, earnings is one of the most important.

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.

Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.

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.

With this in mind, the Expected Surprise Prediction compares the Most Accurate Estimate (being the most recent) against the overall Zacks Consensus Estimate. The percentage difference provides the ESP figure. The system also utilizes our core Zacks Rank to provide a stronger system for identifying stocks that might beat their next quarterly earnings estimate and possibly see the stock price climb.

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 Charter Communications?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Charter Communications (CHTR - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) 30 days from its next quarterly earnings release on January 26, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $9.12 a share.

Charter Communications' Earnings ESP sits at +2.04%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $9.12 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.94. CHTR 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.

CHTR is just one of a large group of Consumer Discretionary stocks with a positive ESP figure. Royal Caribbean (RCL - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Royal Caribbean, which is readying to report earnings on February 6, 2024, sits at a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) right now. It's Most Accurate Estimate is currently $1.13 a share, and RCL is 41 days out from its next earnings report.

Royal Caribbean's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +1.74% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.11.

CHTR and RCL'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 >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


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Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) - free report >>

Charter Communications, Inc. (CHTR) - free report >>

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