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How to Find Strong Computer and Technology 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.

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.

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.

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 #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, 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 Skyworks Solutions?

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. Skyworks Solutions (SWKS - Free Report) holds a #3 (Hold) at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.53 a share 26 days away from its upcoming earnings release on May 13, 2024.

Skyworks Solutions' Earnings ESP sits at +0.73%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $1.53 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.52. SWKS 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.

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

Corning is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on April 30, 2024. GLW's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $0.36 a share 13 days from its next earnings release.

Corning's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +0.39% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.36.

Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, SWKS and GLW 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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Corning Incorporated (GLW) - free report >>

Skyworks Solutions, Inc. (SWKS) - free report >>

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