Quarterly financial reports play a vital role on Wall Street, as they help investors see how a company has performed and what might be coming down the road in the near-term. And out of all of the metrics and results to consider, earnings is one of the most important.

We know earnings results are vital, but how a company performs compared to bottom line expectations can be even more important when it comes to stock prices, especially in the near-term. This means that investors might want to take advantage of these earnings surprises.

2 Stocks to Add to Your Watchlist

The Zacks Earnings ESP, or Expected Surprise Prediction, aims to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst revisions. The basic premise is that if an analyst reevaluates their earnings estimate ahead of an earnings release, it means they likely have new information that could possibly be more accurate. The core of the ESP model is comparing the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the resulting percentage difference between the two equals the Expected Surprise Prediction.

Now that we understand what the ESP is and how beneficial it can be, let's dive into a stock that currently fits the bill. Guardant Health (GH) earns a Zacks Rank #2 right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at -$0.49 a share, just seven days from its upcoming earnings release on February 20, 2025.

GH has an Earnings ESP figure of 1.75%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the -$0.49 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of -$0.50.

GH is part of a big group of Medical stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Exact Sciences (EXAS) as well.

Exact Sciences, which is readying to report earnings on February 19, 2025, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. It's Most Accurate Estimate is currently -$0.31 a share, and EXAS is six days out from its next earnings report.

Exact Sciences' Earnings ESP figure currently stands at 1.59% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of -$0.32.

GH and EXAS' 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

Guardant Health, Inc. (GH) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Exact Sciences Corporation (EXAS) : Free Stock Analysis Report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research