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.

2 Stocks to Add to Your Watchlist

The Zacks Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more 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 final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Comcast (CMCSA) earns a Zacks Rank #3 15 days from its next quarterly earnings release on October 31, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $1.10 a share.

By taking the percentage difference between the $1.10 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.06 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Comcast has an Earnings ESP of 3.76%.

CMCSA is one of just a large database of Consumer Discretionary stocks with positive ESPs. Another solid-looking stock is Lululemon (LULU).

Lululemon is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on December 5, 2024. LULU's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.78 a share 50 days from its next earnings release.

Lululemon's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at 1.7% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.73.

CMCSA and LULU'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 >>

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