Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (ISRG), CSX Corporation (CSX): Three Predictions for Next Week

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Another thing it does is make analysts look like perpetual underachievers. If analysts say the company posted a profit of $0.47 a share in its latest quarter, I’ll argue that it held up better than that. History’s on my side!

One of my best tricks to beating the market is finding stocks that perpetually land ahead of the prognosticators. Let’s go over the past year of earnings reports.

Quarter EPS Estimate EPS Surprise
Q2 2012 $0.47 $0.49 4%
Q3 2012 $0.43 $0.44 2%
Q4 2012 $0.39 $0.40 3%
Q1 2013 $0.40 $0.45 13%

Source: Thomson Reuters.

Things can change, of course.

Analysts are holding out for flatting results, projecting marginal revenue growth and a slight dip in profitability. Rail is cyclical. Even though analysts also thought CSX Corporation (NYSE:CSX) would earn $0.47 a share during last year’s second quarter — and it clocked in just ahead of that — it’s no guarantee that history will repeat.

However, it’s hard to argue against the trend. Everything seems to be falling into place for another market-thumping quarter on the bottom line.

Three for the road
Well, there are three predictions right there. Let’s see how I fare this week.

The article 3 Predictions for Next Week originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Rick Munarriz .

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Intuitive Surgical.

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