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.

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 is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information.

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.

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 Incyte?

The final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Incyte (INCY Quick QuoteINCY - Free Report) earns a #3 (Hold) one day from its next quarterly earnings release on July 29, 2025, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.42 a share.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.42 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.4 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Incyte has an Earnings ESP of +1.43%. Investors should also know that INCY is one of a large group 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.

INCY is just one of a large group of Medical stocks with a positive ESP figure. Cardinal Health (CAH Quick QuoteCAH - Free Report) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Cardinal Health is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on August 12, 2025. CAH's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.04 a share 15 days from its next earnings release.

Cardinal Health's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +0.72% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.03.

Because both stocks hold a positive Earnings ESP, INCY and CAH 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 >>