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How to Boost Your Portfolio with Top Computer and Technology Stocks Set to Beat Earnings

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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.

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 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.

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 nVent Electric?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. nVent Electric (NVT - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) 30 days from its next quarterly earnings release on April 26, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.74 a share.

nVent Electric's Earnings ESP sits at +1.49%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.74 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.73. NVT 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.

NVT is part of a big group of Computer and Technology stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Pure Storage (PSTG - Free Report) as well.

Pure Storage, which is readying to report earnings on May 29, 2024, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. It's Most Accurate Estimate is currently $0.22 a share, and PSTG is 63 days out from its next earnings report.

For Pure Storage, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.21 is +5.26%.

NVT and PSTG'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:


Pure Storage, Inc. (PSTG) - free report >>

nVent Electric PLC (NVT) - free report >>

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