Several regional financials set to report this week could rally after their earnings reports, according to Bespoke Investment Group. Earnings season is heating up, and investors’ expectations are strong leading up to several financial reports due next week. For the third quarter, the estimated year-over-year earnings growth rate for the S & P 500 is 4.2% — which would mark the fifth straight quarter of year-over-year earnings growth for the index if it happens, according to FactSet. Nearly half of S & P 500 companies that will report earnings this week are financials. The group is expected to report a year-over-year earnings decline of 0.4% for the third quarter. With this in mind, Bespoke Investment Group screened for companies reporting next week that have beat consensus analyst estimates at least 70% of the time. These stocks — many of which are financials — have each gained, on average, 1% the day of or following their earnings release. Citizens Financial , which reports on Wednesday, is one of the names on the list. The regional bank has managed to outperform analysts’ earnings expectations 80% of the time, which has led to an average daily jump of 1.5% following its quarterly report. Shares have risen about 25.1% year to date. Analysts polled by FactSet have a average overweight rating on Citizens Financial, with a price target that implies 10.8% potential upside. The stock is also considered a high-dividend name with strong upside potential, according to a recent CNBC Pro stock screener . The company has a 4.14% dividend yield and low debt-to-equity ratio of 52.5%, making it an attractive play as the Federal Reserve’s rate-cutting cycle kicks off. Western Alliance , another regional banking stock, has a strong earnings beat rate of 88% and average move of roughly 2.1% following earnings. It’s set to report results on Oct. 17. After central bankers announced a 50 basis point rate cut in mid-September and raised investors’ confidence in a soft landing, JPMorgan analyst Steven Alexopoulos named Western Alliance as a top financial stock pick. He said in a Sept. 19 note to clients that he expects the “niche growth bank” to remain one of the top leaders in overall loan growth, and said shares were attractive at current levels. Alexopoulos has an overweight rating and Dec. 2025 price target of $100.00 on the mid-sized bank, which suggests shares can gain 19.4%. Analysts polled by FactSet have a buy rating, meanwhile, with a similar price target. Medical device company Intuitive Surgical has historically beaten earnings expectations about four-fifths of the time. It also has the highest post-earnings move of the list, at about 2.5%. The stock has jumped 45% this year — but its significant run-up has left little room to for further gains, according to analysts’ consensus estimates, per FactSet. Their average price target suggests just 3.4% potential upside over the next year. Intuitive Surgical will release results on Oct. 17.
