These 2 Construction Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar

In this article:

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.

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 last thing we will do today, now that we have a grasp on the ESP and how powerful of a tool it can be, is to look at a qualifying stock. Construction Partners (ROAD) holds a Zacks Rank #1 at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.53 a share 27 days away from its upcoming earnings release on November 28, 2023.

By taking the percentage difference between the $0.53 Most Accurate Estimate and the $0.52 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Construction Partners has an Earnings ESP of 2.91%.

ROAD is part of a big group of Construction stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Emcor Group (EME) as well.

Emcor Group is a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on February 22, 2024. EME's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $3.56 a share 113 days from its next earnings release.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Emcor Group is $3.24, and when you take the percentage difference between that number and its Most Accurate Estimate, you get the Earnings ESP figure of 9.88%.

ROAD and EME's positive ESP figures tell us that both stocks have a good chance at beating analyst expectations in their next earnings report.

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 >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

Construction Partners, Inc. (ROAD) : Free Stock Analysis Report

EMCOR Group, Inc. (EME) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

Advertisement