Earnings season is upon us, and we've already started seeing a few select companies break from the pack by producing better-than-expected results. That's the kind of news I zoom in on every Monday, since such stocks often warrant closer investigation. If the trend continues and analysts are out to lunch, chances are better than fair that these stocks will head higher.
That said, let's take a closer look at a few of the companies that humbled the prognosticators this past week.
We'll start with Google
They call this an earnings surprise, but were any of you surprised? I sure wasn't. The only thing that would surprise me is if we get to a point where Wall Street would come within a breath of getting it right regarding this dynamic company.
Est. EPS | EPS | % Surprise | |
---|---|---|---|
Q3 2004 | $0.56 | $0.70 | 25 |
Q4 2004 | $0.77 | $0.92 | 19 |
Q1 2005 | $0.92 | $1.29 | 40 |
Q2 2005 | $1.21 | $1.36 | 12 |
Q3 2005 | $1.36 | $1.51 | 11 |
Q4 2005 | $1.76 | $1.54 | (13) |
Q1 2006 | $1.97 | $2.29 | 16 |
Q2 2006 | $2.22 | $2.49 | 12 |
Look at every single reported quarter since Google went public two summers ago. Check out the last column. Google has blown profit targets out of the water by a double-digit percentage margin every single quarter save for one (in which it missed by 13%).
Will cryptologists please start answering the want ads for Google analysts?
Amgen
Then we have Apple Computer
Keep watching the companies that lap expectations. Over time, they can reward investors in surprising ways. That's the kind of surprise we look for in the Rule Breakers newsletter service. The strategy has paid off, since the average Rule Breaker selection has clocked in slightly ahead of the S&P 500's market return. Want in? Check out a 30-day trial subscription.
Either way, come back next Monday to learn about more stocks that blew the market away.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz is a fan of toppers. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of theRule Breakersnewsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.