Top 6 Corporate Bigwigs Poised to Beat on Earnings This Week

We are in the busiest week of the first-quarter 2021 earnings season. More than 1,500 companies are slated to release their financial numbers this week. Notably, the earnings season is astonishing so far compared to the same period last year, which was partially affected by the global outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

As of Apr 30, 302 S&P 500 companies reported results. Total earnings of these companies are up 51.1% year over year on 8.3% higher revenues, with 86.1% of companies having surpassed EPS estimates and 77.8% beating on revenues.

For the first quarter as a whole, total earnings of the S&P 500 companies are expected to be up 42.6% from the same period last year on 6.8% higher revenues. These estimates compare favorably with the 20.4% jump in earnings on 5.6% higher revenues projected at the beginning of the reporting cycle.

Meanwhile, six corporate bigwigs (market capital > $15 billion) with a favorable Zacks Rank are set to beat the earnings estimates this week. Investment in these stocks is likely to be fruitful going forward.

Our Top Picks

We have narrowed our search to six large-cap stocks each of which carries either a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and has a positive Earnings ESP. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Our research shows that for stocks with the combination of a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better and a positive Earnings ESP, the chance of an earnings beat is as high as 70%. These stocks are anticipated to appreciate after the earnings releases. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

The chart below shows the price performance of our six picks in the last quarter.

Ecopetrol S.A. EC operates as an integrated oil and gas company. It operates through three segments: Exploration and Production, Transport and Logistics, and Refining, Petrochemical and Biofuels. The company has an Earnings ESP of +16.67% for first-quarter 2021.

Ecopetrol has an expected earnings growth rate of more than 100% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 29.7% over the last 60 days. This Zacks Rank #2 company will release earnings results on May 4, after the closing bell.

CDW (NASDAQ:CDW) Corp. CDW provides integrated IT solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the U.K. and Canada. The company has an Earnings ESP of +0.51% for first-quarter 2021.

CDW has an expected earnings growth rate of 9.1% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.3% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 14.1%, on average. This Zacks Rank #2 company is set to release earnings results on May 5, before the opening bell.

Waters Corp. WAT is a specialty measurement company, provides analytical workflow solutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The company has an Earnings ESP of +2.94% for first-quarter 2021.

Waters Corp. has an expected earnings growth rate of 5.4% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.2% over the last 30 days. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 14.6%, on average. This Zacks Rank #2 company is set to release earnings results on May 5, before the opening bell.

Fox Corp. FOXA operates as a news, sports, and entertainment company in the United States. It operates through the Cable Network Programming, Television, and Other, Corporate and Eliminations segments. The company has an Earnings ESP of +13.40% for third-quarter fiscal 2021 (ended March).

Fox has an expected earnings growth rate of 4.4% for the current year (ending June 2021). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1.2% over the last 7 days.. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 80.5%, on average. This Zacks Rank #1 company is set to release earnings results on May 5, after the closing bell.

Sun Life Financial (NYSE:SLF) Inc. SLF is a financial services company providing insurance, wealth and asset management solutions to individuals and corporate clients worldwide. It operates through five segments: Sun Life Financial Canada, Sun Life Financial United States, Sun Life Financial Asset Management, Sun Life Financial Asia and Corporate. The company has an Earnings ESP of +9.26% for first-quarter 2021.

Sun Life has an expected earnings growth rate of 8.8% for the current year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 0.5% over the last 7 days.. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 18.2%, on average. This Zacks Rank #2 company is set to release earnings results on May 5, after the closing bell.

Fair Isaac (NYSE:FICO) Corp. FICO develops analytic, software, and data management products and services that enable businesses to automate, enhance and connect decisions in North America, Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Asia Pacific. The company has an Earnings ESP of +15.94% for second-quarter fiscal 2021.

Fair Isaac has an expected earnings growth rate of 15.8% for the current year (ending September 2021). The Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings has improved 1% over the last 30 days.. It has a trailing four-quarter earnings surprise of 23.7%, on average. This Zacks Rank #2 company is set to release earnings results on May 5, after the closing bell.

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