Earnings Season: 3 Stocks that Could Positively Surprise

Group 1: Earnings Expectations - Wingstop (WING), Badger Meter (BMI), and Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) are expected to deliver positive earnings surprises, supported by favorable Zacks Rank and positive Earnings ESP scores [1][17] - The earnings season is anticipated to be strong, particularly driven by the technology sector [8][26] Group 2: Company Performance - Badger Meter (BMI) reported earnings and revenue growth rates of 50% and 23% respectively, contributing to a significant post-earnings stock movement [5] - Wingstop (WING) shares have increased by 50% in 2024, outperforming the S&P 500, due to better-than-expected results [10] - Badger Meter (BMI) shares have gained 28% year-to-date, also outperforming the S&P 500's 20% increase [12] - Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) shares have lagged with a 15% gain in 2024, but have shown recovery after facing pressure post-earnings [14] Group 3: Financial Metrics - Badger Meter (BMI) achieved free cash flow of $18.8 million, a 37% year-over-year increase, which supports its quarterly dividend yielding 0.6% annually [13] - Wingstop's Zacks Consensus EPS estimate is $0.79, reflecting an 11% increase over recent months and suggesting nearly 40% year-over-year growth [20] - Packaging Corporation of America (PKG) has a quarterly sales estimate of $2.0 billion, which has increased by 3.5% over recent months, with expected earnings and revenue growth of 29% and 14% respectively [23]