11 S&P 500 Stocks Blow Away Analysts' Quarterly Estimates

Now that fourth quarter earnings season is wrapping up, it’s clear which S&P 500 stocks overdelivered.

Eleven stocks in the S&P 500, including Pinnacle West Capital (PNW), GE Vernova (GEV) and Sandisk (SNDK), reported quarterly adjusted profit that beat expectations by 70% or more, says an Investor’s Business Daily analysis of data from S&P Global Market Intelligence and MarketSurge.

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It’s important to note, though, good things don’t always happen to stocks with good results. Shares of seven of the 10 S&P 500 with the largest positive fourth-quarter EPS surprises are down since the announcements.

And given that the S&P 500 is near highs, earnings reports are even more important. “High valuations can magnify the impact small changes in potential earnings have on stock prices,” said Brent Schutte, chief investment officer, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management.

AI’s Influence Still Felt

Robust demand for the raw materials of AI, power and memory, continue to drive many of the biggest earnings surprises in the S&P 500.

Pinnacle West, an Arizona power utility, topped quarterly EPS forecasts by a whopping 550%. Analysts thought the company would earn 2 cents a share in the quarter. But it wound up making 13 cents a share.

Surprisingly, the stock has been underperforming since its earnings report on Feb. 25. Shares are down nearly 1% since then. The stock has some catching up to do as its RS Rating is just 64.

Turbine maker GE Vernova is another winner from the power trade. The company’s fourth-quarter profit topped views by more than 311%. But its shares, as a result, are up more than 1,515% from the Jan. 26 report. The stock looks solid with a 95 RS Rating.

Memory Shortage

But the shortage in memory used in electronics, has been pronounced, too.

Sandisk, a maker of NAND flash memory products for computers and other devices, has seen its shares blast off 778% since reporting quarterly profit on Jan. 29. The company topped analysts’ profit views by 75%. No wonder it has a 99 Composite Rating and 99 RS Rating.

Sandisk shows that while beating EPS estimates isn’t a guaranteed pop in your stock, it certainly doesn’t hurt.

Top Earnings Surprises

For fourth-quarter of 2025

Sources: S&P Global Market Intelligence, MarketSurge

Follow Matt Krantz on X @mattkrantz

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