Will International Paper (IP) beat estimates again in its next earnings report?

Looking for a stock that has consistently beaten earnings estimates and could be well-positioned to continue its streak into its next quarterly report? International Paper (IP), a member of the Zacks Paper and Related Products industry, could be a great candidate to consider.

The global paper and packaging company has had a good streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the last two reports. The average surprise over the last two quarters was 75.27%.

For the last reported quarter, International Paper announced earnings of $0.71 per share versus the Zacks consensus estimate of $0.48 per share, delivering a surprise of 47.92%. In the previous quarter, the company was expected to post earnings of $0.38 per share and actually delivered earnings of $0.77 per share, delivering a surprise of 102.63%.

Price and EPS are surprising

With this history, there has been a recent favorable revision to earnings estimates for International Paper. In fact, the stock’s Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) is now positive, which is a great indicator of an earnings beat, especially when paired with its solid Zacks Rank.

Our research shows that stocks with the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better deliver a positive surprise almost 70% of the time. In other words, if you have 10 stocks with this combination, the number of stocks that beat consensus estimates could be as many as seven.

The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a revision of the Zacks Consensus definition that is related to revision. The idea is that analysts revising their estimates just before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and other contributors to the consensus had previously predicted.

International Paper currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.12%, suggesting that analysts have recently become bullish on the company’s earnings prospects. This positive Earnings ESP, combined with the stock’s Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), indicates that another beat is likely just around the corner. We expect the company’s next earnings report to be released on February 4, 2021.

When the Earnings ESP is negative, investors should remember that this will reduce the predictive power of the indicator. However, a negative value is not an indicator of a lack of earnings for the stock.

Many companies end up beating consensus EPS estimates, although that’s not the only reason their stocks appreciate. In addition, some stocks can remain stable even if they end up missing consensus estimates.

For this reason, it is very important to check a company’s Earnings ESP before its quarterly release to increase your chances of success. Make sure you use our Earnings ESP Filter to discover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are released.

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