Earnings Results Have These 5 Stocks Turning Heads Today

Despite crude futures dipping below $44 per barrel, all three indexes are in the green today, largely on the back of solid earnings reports. In this article we’ll take a closer look at the latest quarterly results from Boston Beer Co Inc (NYSE:SAM), South State Corporation (NASDAQ:SSB), Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (NYSE:SWK), Textron Inc. (NYSE:TXT), and Watsco Inc (NYSE:WSO). We’ll also use SEC filings to determine how the smart money is positioned in each of the five equities.

Our backtests that covered the period between 1999 and 2012, showed that following the 15 most popular small-caps among hedge funds can help a retail investor beat the market by an average of 95 basis points per month (see the details here).

InsectWorld / Shutterstock.com

Boston Beer Surges on Double Beat

Boston Beer Co Inc (NYSE:SAM) shares have rocketed upwards by almost 18% this afternoon after the company reported second quarter earnings of $2.06 per share on revenue of $244.8 million, beating the consensus estimates by $0.12 per share and $5.93 million. Revenue fell by 8.9% year-over-year, caused in part by a 4% decline in shipment volumes. Management sees full year EPS coming in at $6.40-to-$7.00, with the average analyst estimate of $6.70 per share being at the very mid-point of the company’s guidance. Ken Fisher‘s Fisher Asset Management owned 345,673 shares of Boston Beer Co Inc (NYSE:SAM) at the end of the second quarter.

South State Earnings Top Estimates, Shares Rise 5.4%

South State Corporation (NASDAQ:SSB) earned $1.18 per share on revenue of $113.52 million for the second quarter, beating earnings estimates by $0.07 per share but missing the top-line consensus mark by $2.28 million. Net loan growth during the second quarter was an annualized 16.5% while South State reported an efficiency ratio of 64.54%. Book value per common share was $45.64. As per our database of 766 active funds, 14 had a bullish position in South State Corporation (NASDAQ:SSB) at the end of the first quarter.

On the next page we examine why Stanley Black & Decker, Textron Inc, and Watsco Inc are in the spotlight today.