Earnings season is a busy period with companies reporting every day, whether that's before or after the market close. As a general rule, old economy stocks tend to report earnings before the open, while new economy names typically report after the close.
Reporting after the close can mean larger price moves on earnings surprises, because the post-market session is less liquid than the regular session. Simply because there are fewer participants and lower volumes, and potentially wider bid-offer spreads after the main market closes.
No one could hope to be on top of the earnings reports and expectations around 500 stocks; it’s just too much information for an individual to collate and process, even with the help of AI.
What we can do, however, is filter the S&P 500 stocks to create a list of names whose share prices have the potential to move on earnings.
In the table below, I have screened for S&P 500 stocks reporting between 14/07/26 and 28/07/2026.
I then looked for stocks that were at least +1.0% above their 50 D Moving Average, and that were up over the previous 5-days. I also wanted them to have posted at least 2 new 1-month highs and to have an analyst's rating of at least 4.0 out of a maximum possible score of 5.0.
Applying those filters left me with a list of 32 stocks, which I have set out below.
Though it's not a hard and fast rule, stocks that are trading above the 50 Day MA line in the run-up to earnings could be thought to be giving off positive vibes.
Academic research suggests that periods when a stock is above the 50 D MA are associated with better forward performance and lower volatility than periods spent below it.
A study conducted by the CFA Research and Policy Centre in 2022 found that when the broad U.S. market is above its 50-day moving average, stocks tend to exhibit lower volatility, and post higher, average daily returns, and longer streaks of those positive returns.
The table is ranked by 5-day % change (as of 8/07/26), which shows us which stocks have some upside momentum. SCHW US Charles Schwab had put on +10.22% in those five days and has posted 11 new highs in the last month.
Source: Barchart.com/Darren Sinden
Has SCHWB peaked too early? After all, it doesn’t report until the 21/07/26, or will it find the energy for a second leg? A sustained break above $102.00 might well provide the answer.
Source: Barchart.com
And what about bankers State Street STT US, which has also posted 11 new highs in the last month, could they find additional momentum pre and post earnings, as they did last time out? The blue E on the chart below marks their prior earnings reports.
Source: Barchart.com
An analyst score of 4.11 out of 5.0 and a stock price that’s +10.0% above the 50 D MA bode well, and no doubt market volatility over the last quarter will have boosted revenues in their trading and ETF business.
However, an uncertain macro outlook and the return of inflation in the US could affect the outlook in the second half of the year for the Wall Street Bank.
For defence contractor General Dynamics GD US, the question is whether its earnings report can justify its recent move higher, and or perhaps give it additional momentum.
You might argue that the stock is “priced for perfection” right now and that any disappointment could derail the stock price. On that basis, could this be one to trade post the announcement, I wonder?
Hopefully, this has given you some food for thought and ideas about what to look for before, and the questions to ask, during and after earnings season.
As a final comment, I will just add this: good guidance can trump everything! When it's combined with earnings and revenue beats, so much the better. On the flip side, a stock that has performed well, and whose earnings have set a high bar needs to deliver. Any deviation or wavering in performance can quickly unsettle the market and the stock price.
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