Wall Street watches a company's quarterly report closely to understand as much as possible about its recent performance and what to expect going forward. Of course, one figure often stands out among the rest: earnings.

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 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.

In fact, when we combined a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, stocks produced a positive surprise 70% of the time. Perhaps most importantly, using these parameters has helped produce 28.3% 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 Nvidia?

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. Nvidia (NVDA Quick QuoteNVDA - Free Report) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.10 a share, just 13 days from its upcoming earnings release on August 26, 2026.

Nvidia's Earnings ESP sits at +0.52%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $2.10 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.09. NVDA 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.

NVDA 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 Garmin (GRMN Quick QuoteGRMN - Free Report) as well.

Garmin, which is readying to report earnings on November 4, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $2.41 a share, and GRMN is 83 days out from its next earnings report.

For Garmin, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.38 is +1.26%.

NVDA and GRMN'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 >>