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Who beats estimates every quarter?

Most companies beat analysts’ estimates in a given quarter, so a single beat says little. Beating quarter after quarter, on sales as well as earnings, is rarer and says something about how reliably a business delivers and how conservatively it guides.

Updated Oct 6, 2026

86
% beat last season

109 beat 12 of 12

86% of S&P 500 companies beat analysts’ earnings estimates last season, against 75% in a typical season since 2015. 109 companies have beaten in each of their last twelve quarters.

Typical company beats 83% of the timeLong-run beat rate 75%504 companies
Beat rate, past 3 years

Quarter by quarter

Select the market or any company below. Bars show each quarter’s earnings surprise.

PFE · Pfizer
Earnings per share against the analysts’ estimate, each quarter, as a percentage of the estimate.
0%50%100%150%Oct 31Jan 30May 1Jul 30Oct 29Feb 4Apr 29Aug 5Nov 4Feb 3May 5Aug 4

The 60 most reliable beaters

Ranked by the current run of beats, then by beats out of twelve and the typical size of the surprise. Select a column to sort.

CompanyReliabilityRunEPS beatsSales beatsTypical surpriseNext reportSurprise, 3 years

How to read this page

How it’s measured. The last twelve reported quarters for each S&P 500 and Nasdaq-100 company, comparing earnings per share and revenue with the consensus estimate before the report.

Sources. Analysts’ estimates and ratings from Financial Modeling Prep.

Companies help set the estimates they beat by guiding analysts, so about three in four beat in a typical quarter. A long run of beats says as much about conservative guidance as about the business.

In our research, the size of an earnings surprise carries a modest signal for the following months, strongest when the business is also growing.

This page is information, not investment advice. About our data and methods ›

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