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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.

Now that we know how important earnings and earnings surprises are, it's time to show investors how to take advantage of these events to boost their returns by utilizing the Zacks Earnings ESP filter.

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 NXP Semiconductors?

Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. NXP Semiconductors (NXPI - Free Report) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $3.14 a share, just six days from its upcoming earnings release on October 27, 2025.

By taking the percentage difference between the $3.14 Most Accurate Estimate and the $3.11 Zacks Consensus Estimate, NXP Semiconductors has an Earnings ESP of +1.11%. Investors should also know that NXPI 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.

NXPI is one of just a large database of Computer and Technology stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Workday (WDAY - Free Report) .

Workday is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on November 25, 2025. WDAY's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.18 a share 35 days from its next earnings release.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Workday is $2.12, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of +2.70%.

NXPI and WDAY'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


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NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NXPI) - free report >>

Workday, Inc. (WDAY) - free report >>

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