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These 2 Computer and Technology Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar

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Earnings are arguably the most important single number on a company's quarterly financial report. Wall Street clearly dives into all of the other metrics and management's input, but the EPS figure helps cut through all the noise.

Life and the stock market are both about expectations, and rising above what is expected is often rewarded, while falling short can come with negative consequences. Investors might want to try to capture stronger returns by finding positive earnings surprises.

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 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.

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.

Stocks with a ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market; Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.

Should You Consider TSMC?

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. TSMC (TSM - Free Report) holds a #2 (Buy) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.33 a share 30 days away from its upcoming earnings release on April 18, 2024.

TSM has an Earnings ESP figure of +2.31%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $1.33 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.30. TSMC is one of a large database of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

TSM is just one of a large group of Computer and Technology stocks with a positive ESP figure. Amdocs (DOX - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Amdocs is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on May 8, 2024. DOX's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.58 a share 50 days from its next earnings release.

For Amdocs, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.58 is +0.16%.

TSM and DOX'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


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


Amdocs Limited (DOX) - free report >>

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSM) - free report >>

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