These stocks have the earnings mojo before they report next week
Amazon.com is one of many companies with strong earnings momentum that’s slated to report first-quarter earnings next week. In the week ahead, more than 160 companies representing one-third of the S & P 500 will post their financial results for the three-month period ended March 31. From Amazon to Cigna Group , they span a variety of sectors, ranging from consumer discretionary to healthcare, energy to industrials. CNBC Pro screened FactSet data to find S & P 500 companies reporting results next week that have recently seen accelerated earnings momentum. Stocks in the table below all met the following criteria: EPS estimates up 10% in the past three and six months Upside to average analyst price target of 20% or more Buy ratings from at least 55% of analysts covering the Here are some that have strong earnings momentum entering next week: Amazon The e-commerce and internet infrastructure giant, which reports earnings on Wednesday, April 29, has seen improved bottom-line estimates lately, helped by Anthropic’s use of Trainium chips, custom AI training accelerators, in its Claude Mythos advanced artificial intelligence model. Trainium chips were created by Amazon Web Services. Analysts’ consensus estimate for Amazon earnings is $1.63 per share, according to FactSet, up 363% from three months ago, and 692% over the past six months. Amazon is expected to post robust bottom-line results for the first quarter of 2026, largely fueled by growth in Amazon Web Services (AWS). The cloud platform has seen a resurgence in sales as the boom in artificial intelligence stokes demand for computing power, storage and content delivery services. Truist Securities rates Amazon a buy, in line with nearly 80% of analysts on the Street. It also has a price target of $285, implying 12% upside from Thursday’s close. The company’s first-quarter results “should show further growth acceleration at AWS and above-industry growth across eCommerce and Digital Ads,” analyst Youssef Squali wrote in a recent note to clients. “We expect AWS revenue growth to accelerate to +25% in 1Q26 from +23% in 4Q25, with sustained momentum throughout FY26 driven by faster adoption in AI workloads from a growing roster of partnerships including OpenAI and Anthropic, and significant [data center] capacity coming online in 2026.” Amazon shares are 27% higher in the past month. Cigna Group The global health insurer posts first-quarter earnings on Thursday, April 30, and has recently seen strong earnings momentum. Earnings are estimated to reach $7.60 per share in the first quarter, according to analysts polled by FactSet, up 26% over the past three months, and 44% in the last six. Cigna is preparing to share its recent financial results following a major overhaul of its business. Last fall, the healthcare provider introduced a new system that aims to pass more discounts on to clients of its commercial health plans – an initiative that could ultimately boost its shares, according to Bank of America. “CI’s pure play position [is] in commercial (the only biz performing well) as well as a large pharmaceutical biz,” analyst Kevin Fischbeck at Bank of America wrote last December. “Although 2026 is a [pharmacy benefit managers] reset year, from there CI should compound EPS 10-15% per year.” Bank of America has a buy rating on Cigna, as do about 70% of investment banks on Wall Street. Cigna shares are ahead about 3% in the past month.
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