Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Why Amgen (AMGN) Might Surprise This Earnings Season

Read MoreHide Full Article

Investors are always looking for stocks that are poised to beat at earnings season and Amgen Inc. (AMGN - Free Report) may be one such company. The firm has earnings coming up pretty soon, and events are shaping up quite nicely for their report.

That is because Amgen is seeing favorable earnings estimate revision activity as of late, which is generally a precursor to an earnings beat. After all, analysts raising estimates right before earnings — with the most up-to-date information possible — is a pretty good indicator of some favorable trends underneath the surface for AMGN in this report.

In fact, the Most Accurate Estimate for the current quarter is currently at $3.54 per share for AMGN, compared to a broader Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.42 per share. This suggests that analysts have very recently bumped up their estimates for AMGN, giving the stock a Zacks Earnings ESP of +3.54% heading into earnings season.

Amgen Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Amgen Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Amgen Inc. Quote

Why is this Important?

A positive reading for the Zacks Earnings ESP has proven to be very powerful in producing both positive surprises, and outperforming the market. Our recent 10-year backtest shows that stocks that have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better show a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and have returned over 28% on average in annual returns (see more Top Earnings ESP stocks here).

Given that AMGN has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an ESP in positive territory, investors might want to consider this stock ahead of earnings. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Clearly, recent earnings estimate revisions suggest that good things are ahead for Amgen, and that a beat might be in the cards for the upcoming report.

The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of All

Last year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.

See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Amgen Inc. (AMGN) - free report >>

Published in