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 Earnings ESP is more formally known as the Expected Surprise Prediction, and it aims to grab the inside track on the latest analyst estimate revisions ahead of a company's report. The idea is relatively intuitive as a newer projection might be based on more complete information. The ESP is calculated by comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, with the percentage difference between the two giving us the Zacks 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. Roper Technologies (ROP) holds a Zacks Rank #3 at the moment and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $4.93 a share 15 days away from its upcoming earnings release on January 30, 2025.

By taking the percentage difference between the $4.93 Most Accurate Estimate and the $4.76 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Roper Technologies has an Earnings ESP of 3.61%.

ROP is just one of a large group of Computer and Technology stocks with a positive ESP figure. Accenture (ACN) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Slated to report earnings on March 20, 2025, Accenture holds a #3 (Hold) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $2.79 a share 64 days from its next quarterly update.

Accenture's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at 0.18% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.78.

ROP and ACN's positive ESP metrics may signal that a positive earnings surprise for both stocks is on the horizon.

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 >>

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Roper Technologies, Inc. (ROP) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Accenture PLC (ACN) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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