A company always aims to make money sooner or later. Therefore, earnings growth is the main priority for any organization.
So, what’s earnings growth? Study a company’s revenues over a given period, subtract the production cost, and you have earnings. Incidentally, this is the most important variable manipulating its share price. But, expectations of earnings play a significant role.
Earnings Estimates & Share Price Movements
Frequently, we have seen a decline in the stock price despite earnings growth and a rally in price following an earnings decline. This is largely the result of a company’s earnings failing to meet market expectations.
Earnings estimates embody analysts’ opinions on factors such as sales growth, product demand, competitive industry environment, profit margins, and cost control. Thus, earnings estimates serve as a valuable tool, while making investment decisions. Earnings estimates also help analysts assess the cash flow to determine the fair value of a firm.
Thus, investors should be on the lookout for stocks ready to make a big move. Hence, investors need to buy stocks with historical earnings growth and are seeing a rise in quarterly and annual earnings estimates.
Screening Measures:
To shortlist stocks that have striking earnings growth and positive estimate revisions, we have added the following parameters:
Zacks Rank less than or equal to 2 (Only Zacks' 'Buys' and 'Strong Buys' are allowed. With the Zacks Rank proving itself to be one of the best rating systems out there, this is a great way to start things off.)
5-Year Historical EPS Growth (%) greater than X-Industry (stocks with a strong EPS growth history).
% Change EPS F(0)/F(-1) greater than or equal to 5 (companies that saw year-over-year earnings growth of 5% or more in the last reported fiscal).
% Change Q1 Estimates over the last 4 weeks greater than zero (stocks that have seen their current quarter earnings estimates revised higher in the last 4 weeks).
% Change F1 Estimates over the last 1 week greater than zero (stocks that have seen their annual earnings estimates revised higher in the last 1 week).
% Change F1 Estimates over the last 4 weeks greater than zero (stocks that have seen their annual earnings estimates revised higher in the last 4 weeks).
The above criteria narrowed the universe of around 7,839 stocks to only eight. Here are the top four stocks that stand out:
DexCom DXCM is a medical device company. DexCom has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). DXCM’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 64.4%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 (Strong Buy) Rank stocks here.
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. AJG provides insurance brokerage and consulting services. Arthur J. Gallagher has a Zacks Rank #2. AJG’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 13.6%.
Limbach LMB provides building systems. Limbach has a Zacks Rank #1. LMB’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 173.4%.
The Hartford Financial Services Group HIG is a major multi-line insurance and investment company in the United States. Hartford Financial Services has a Zacks Rank #2. HIG’s expected earnings growth rate for the current year is 7.9%.
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Disclosure: Officers, directors, and/or employees of Zacks Investment Research may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material. An affiliated investment advisory firm may own or have sold short securities and/or hold long and/or short positions in options that are mentioned in this material.
Disclosure: Performance information for Zacks’ portfolios and strategies are available at: https://www.zacks.com/performance.
Zacks Names "Single Best Pick to Double"
From thousands of stocks, 5 Zacks experts each have chosen their favorite to skyrocket +100% or more in months to come. From those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian hand-picks one to have the most explosive upside of all.
It’s a little-known chemical company that’s up 65% over last year, yet still dirt cheap. With unrelenting demand, soaring 2022 earnings estimates, and $1.5 billion for repurchasing shares, retail investors could jump in at any time.
This company could rival or surpass other recent Zacks’ Stocks Set to Double like Boston Beer Company which shot up +143.0% in little more than 9 months and NVIDIA which boomed +175.9% in one year.
Free: See Our Top Stock and 4 Runners Up >>The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc. (HIG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
DexCom, Inc. (DXCM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (AJG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
Limbach Holdings, Inc. (LMB) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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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.
