Columbia Financial (CLBK) could be a solid addition to your portfolio given a notable revision in the company's earnings estimates. While the stock has been gaining lately, the trend might continue since its earnings outlook is still improving.

The rising trend in estimate revisions, which is a result of growing analyst optimism on the earnings prospects of this company, should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is principally built on this insight.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

For Columbia Financial, strong agreement among the covering analysts in revising earnings estimates upward has resulted in meaningful improvement in consensus estimates for the next quarter and full year.

Current-Quarter Estimate Revisions

For the current quarter, the company is expected to earn $0.07 per share, which is a change of -22.22% from the year-ago reported number.

Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Columbia Financial has increased 16.67% because two estimates have moved higher compared to no negative revisions.

Current-Year Estimate Revisions

The company is expected to earn $0.18 per share for the full year, which represents a change of -63.27% from the prior-year number.

The revisions trend for the current year also appears quite promising for Columbia Financial, with two estimates moving higher over the past month compared to no negative revisions. The consensus estimate has also received a boost over this time frame, increasing 5.88%.

Favorable Zacks Rank

Thanks to promising estimate revisions, Columbia Financial currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom Line

While strong estimate revisions for Columbia Financial have attracted decent investments and pushed the stock 5.1% higher over the past four weeks, further upside may still be left in the stock. So, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.

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