These 2 Retail and Wholesale Stocks Could Beat Earnings: Why They Should Be on Your Radar

Two factors often determine stock prices in the long run: earnings and interest rates. Investors can't control the latter, but they can focus on a company's earnings results every quarter.

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.

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 Expected Surprise Prediction, or ESP, works by locking in on the most up-to-date analyst earnings revisions because they can be more accurate than estimates from weeks or even months before the actual release date. The thinking is pretty straightforward: analysts who provide earnings estimates closer to the report are likely to have more 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 ranking of #3 (Hold), or 60% of all stocks covered by the Zacks Rank, are expected to perform in-line with the broader market. Stocks with rankings of #2 (Buy) and #1 (Strong Buy), 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 Ulta Beauty?

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. Ulta Beauty (ULTA) earns a #3 (Hold) right now and its Most Accurate Estimate sits at $5.04 a share, just seven days from its upcoming earnings release on August 28, 2025.

By taking the percentage difference between the $5.04 Most Accurate Estimate and the $4.97 Zacks Consensus Estimate, Ulta Beauty has an Earnings ESP of +1.39%. Investors should also know that ULTA 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.

ULTA is just one of a large group of Retail and Wholesale stocks with a positive ESP figure. TJX (TJX) is another qualifying stock you may want to consider.

TJX is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock, and is getting ready to report earnings on November 19, 2025. TJX's Most Accurate Estimate sits at $1.22 a share 90 days from its next earnings release.

For TJX, the percentage difference between its Most Accurate Estimate and its Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.21 is +1.16%.

ULTA and TJX's 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

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

Zacks Investment Research