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

Hunting for 'earnings whispers' or companies poised to beat their quarterly earnings estimates is a somewhat common practice. But that doesn't make it easy. One way that has been proven to work is by using the Zacks Earnings ESP tool.

The Zacks Earnings ESP, Explained

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.

Now that we understand the basic idea, let's look at how the Expected Surprise Prediction works. 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.

Bringing together a positive earnings ESP alongside a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better has helped stocks report a positive earnings surprise 70% of the time. Furthermore, by using these parameters, investors have seen 28.3% annual returns on average, according to our 10 year backtest.

Stocks with a #3 (Hold) ranking, which is most stocks covered at 60%, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. But stocks that fall into the #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy) ranking, or the top 15% and top 5% of stocks, respectively, should outperform the market. Strong Buy stocks should outperform more than any other rank.

Should You Consider Banco Macro?

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. Banco Macro (BMA) earns a #2 (Buy) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $2.01 a share, just 12 days from its upcoming earnings release on August 26, 2026.

By taking the percentage difference between the $2.01 Most Accurate Estimate and the $1.59 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Banco Macro has an Earnings ESP of +26.81%. Investors should also know that BMA is one of a large group of stocks with positive ESPs. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.

BMA is just one of a large group of Finance stocks with a positive ESP figure. Healthpeak (DOC) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

Healthpeak, which is readying to report earnings on October 22, 2026, sits at a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) right now. Its Most Accurate Estimate is currently $0.45 a share, and DOC is 69 days out from its next earnings report.

Healthpeak's Earnings ESP figure currently stands at +3.05% after taking the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.44.

BMA and DOC'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 >>

Should You Invest in Macro Bank Inc. (BMA)?

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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