Looking for a stock that has been consistently beating earnings estimates and might be well positioned to keep the streak alive in its next quarterly report? Consolidated Edison (ED), which belongs to the Zacks Utility – Electric Power industry, could be a great candidate to consider.
When looking at the last two reports, this utility has recorded a strong streak of surpassing earnings estimates. The company has topped estimates by 7.37%, on average, in the last two quarters.
For the last reported quarter, Con Ed came out with earnings of $0.81 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.78 per share, representing a surprise of 3.85%. For the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $1.47 per share and it actually produced earnings of $1.63 per share, delivering a surprise of 10.88%.
For Con Ed, estimates have been trending higher, thanks in part to this earnings surprise history. And when you look at the stock’s positive Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction), it’s a great indicator of a future earnings beat, especially when combined with its solid Zacks Rank.
Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat the consensus estimate could be as high as seven.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a version of the Zacks Consensus whose definition is related to change. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Con Ed has an Earnings ESP of +2.99% at the moment, suggesting that analysts have grown bullish on its near-term earnings potential. When you combine this positive Earnings ESP with the stock’s Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), it shows that another beat is possibly around the corner.
When the Earnings ESP comes up negative, investors should note that this will reduce the predictive power of the metric. But, a negative value is not indicative of a stock’s earnings miss.
Many companies end up beating the consensus EPS estimate, though this is not the only reason why their shares gain. Additionally, some stocks may remain stable even if they end up missing the consensus estimate.
Because of this, it’s really important to check a company’s Earnings ESP ahead of its quarterly release to increase the odds of success. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’ve reported.
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
