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Management's ability to "raise guidance" can often be a catalyst for market-beating returns in the quarters ahead. The first-quarter earnings season has crossed the 90% mark and is wrapping up, with blended earnings (actual results and the consensus for those still to report) showing a year-over-year gain of almost 7%, according to Refinitiv. That is considerably better than the 4%-7% advance expected at the start of the earnings period. Leading the outperformance were strong gains in Communication Services earnings, up 43%, and Consumer Discretionary, up 26%. On the flipside, Healthcare and Energy, both down 24%, are performing the worst. Our analysts are always on the lookout for companies that boost outlooks during earnings season, as this is often a signal for momentum in the months ahead. Here is an initial list of BUY-rated companies in the Argus Fundamental Universe of Coverage at which management raised guidance or increased its outlook during the 1Q24 EPS reporting season.

Ventas Inc. is a real estate investment trust that invests primarily in real estate serving the healthcare sector. The company acquires, develops, leases, and manages about 1,400 senior housing and medical office properties in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Currently, senior housing properties account for about 60% of VTR's portfolio, and medical and research assets account for about 30% of the portfolio. These offices are located in 31 states, and about 95% are affiliated with hospitals or health systems. The company acquired 153 new properties in 1H23 in a loan-to-own transaction. In 2023, about 40% of NOI came from SHOP assets, and 30% came from medical offices and research properties. The company was founded in 1998 as a spinoff of Vencor, a healthcare services company. VTR also has an asset management business (VIM) with $5 billion under management. VTR shares are a component of the S&P 500. The company's market cap is $17.2 billion.

Monday Tee Up: Here Comes NVDA

The Vickers Top Insider Picks is a daily report that utilizes a proprietary algorithm to identify 25 companies with compelling insider purchase histories based on transactions over the past three months.