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These 2 Oils and Energy Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar

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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.

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 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.

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 Equitrans Midstream?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Equitrans Midstream (ETRN - Free Report) earns a #1 (Strong Buy) seven days from its next quarterly earnings release on February 20, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.25 a share.

Equitrans Midstream's Earnings ESP sits at +40.85%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.25 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.18. ETRN 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.

ETRN is one of just a large database of Oils and Energy stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is PBF Energy (PBF - Free Report) .

PBF Energy is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on February 15, 2024. PBF's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.11 a share two days from its next earnings release.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PBF Energy is $0.08, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +37.5%.

ETRN and PBF's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.

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


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


PBF Energy Inc. (PBF) - free report >>

Equitrans Midstream Corporation (ETRN) - free report >>

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