Third quarter earnings season is moving beyond the Magnificent 7 as only NVIDIA remains still to report earnings. This week there will be over 1,000 companies reporting earnings, including small and mid-cap companies that investors often overlook.
Technology will remain in focus but we’re also going to hear from many consumer-focused companies including restaurants, travel, beauty, and apparel companies.
So far, earnings reports have been better-than-expected at many of the consumer-focused companies including the cruise lines and hotel chains.
Will that continue this week?
Having a Perfect Earnings Surprise Record Isn’t Easy
Two of the key companies to watch this week have perfect 5-year earnings surprise streaks. That means it has met or beat on earnings every quarter since the end of 2021. That’s impressive.
How does a company get such a record? It usually means management is good at communicating with the covering analysts each quarter about what is going on at the company.
It’s not easy beating on earnings for years. But these companies are doing that.
Will we see another earnings beat this quarter?
5 Key Earnings Charts to Watch This Week
1. Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD)
Advanced Micro Devices is an earnings all-star. It hasn’t missed on earnings in the last five years. That is perfection.
However, shares of Advanced Micro Devices are down 26% in the last month on the AI sell-off. Earnings are expected to rise 81% in Fiscal 2026 after jumping 26% in Fiscal 2025.
Is this a buying opportunity in Advanced Micro Devices?
2. McDonald’s Corp. (MCD)
McDonald’s has beat on earnings three out of the last four quarters. It has a good long-term earnings track record. McDonald’s has only missed four times in the last five years.
Shares of McDonald’s have slid 13% year-to-date on worries over consumer spending. It’s not that cheap, however. McDonald’s still trades with a forward P/E of 20.
Will this be the quarter that McDonald’s turns it around?
3. Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE)
Expedia has beat on earnings five quarters in a row. It also has an excellent longer track record with just three misses over the last five years.
Shares of Expedia are up in the last month, gaining 12.8%, on signs that the consumer is still traveling. Expedia is cheap, with a forward P/E of just 14. A P/E under 15 usually signals the company has value.
Will Expedia beat on earnings again this week?
4. e.l.f. Beauty, Inc. (ELF)
e.l.f. Beauty has only missed on earnings one time in the last 5 years and it was in 2025. It has put together a streak of 6 earnings beats in a row.
Beauty seems to be gaining momentum. Shares of e.l.f. Beauty are up 45% year-to-date. However, e.l.f. Beauty isn’t cheap, with a forward P/E of 30. A P/E above 25 is usually considered to be an expensive stock.
Is beauty and e.l.f. Beauty back on track to end 2026?
5. Ralph Lauren Corp. (RL)
Ralph Lauren is the other company with a perfect 5-year earnings surprise record. It’s impressive seeing this feat from an apparel and accessories company which has to navigate consumer trends.
Shares of Ralph Lauren are up 9.4% over the last month as the holiday season approaches. Earnings are expected to rise 13.8% in fiscal 2027 after jumping 34.5% in fiscal 2026.
Will Ralph Lauren beat again this quarter?
[In full disclosure, Tracey owns shares of Expedia in Zacks Value Investor portfolio.]
Radical New Technology Could Hand Investors Huge Gains
Quantum Computing is the next technological revolution, and it could be even more advanced than AI.
While some believed the technology was years away, it is already present and moving fast. Large hyperscalers, such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, Oracle, and even Meta and Tesla, are scrambling to integrate quantum computing into their infrastructure.
Senior Stock Strategist Kevin Cook reveals 7 carefully selected stocks poised to dominate the quantum computing landscape in his report, Beyond AI: The Quantum Leap in Computing Power .
Kevin was among the early experts who recognized NVIDIA's enormous potential back in 2016. Now, he has keyed in on what could be "the next big thing" in quantum computing supremacy. Today, you have a rare chance to position your portfolio at the forefront of this opportunity.
See Top Quantum Stocks Now >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD): Free Stock Analysis Report
McDonald's Corporation (MCD): Free Stock Analysis Report
Expedia Group, Inc. (EXPE): Free Stock Analysis Report
Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL): Free Stock Analysis Report
e.l.f. Beauty (ELF): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).