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.

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 final step today is to look at a stock that meets our ESP qualifications. Cava Group (CAVA) earns a Zacks Rank #2 11 days from its next quarterly earnings release on November 12, 2024, and its Most Accurate Estimate comes in at $0.12 a share.

CAVA has an Earnings ESP figure of 3.38%, which, as explained above, is calculated by taking the percentage difference between the $0.12 Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.11.

CAVA is part of a big group of Retail-Wholesale stocks that boast a positive ESP, and investors may want to take a look at Best Buy (BBY) as well.

Slated to report earnings on November 19, 2024, Best Buy holds a #2 (Buy) ranking on the Zacks Rank, and it's Most Accurate Estimate is $1.30 a share 18 days from its next quarterly update.

For Best Buy, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.30 is 0.06%.

CAVA and BBY'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 >>

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

CAVA Group, Inc. (CAVA) : Free Stock Analysis Report

Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) : Free Stock Analysis Report