Constant earnings growth captivates almost everyone, from the top brass to research analysts. This is because earnings are a measure of the money a company is making. Still, earnings acceleration works even better when lifting the stock price. Studies have shown that most successful stocks have seen an acceleration in earnings before an uptick in the stock price. Earnings acceleration is the incremental growth in a company's earnings per share. In other words, if the rate of a company's quarter-over-quarter earnings growth increases within a stipulated time frame, it can be called earnings acceleration. In the case of earnings growth, you pay for something that is already reflected in the stock price. But earnings acceleration helps spot stocks that haven't yet caught the attention of investors and, once secured, will invariably lead to a rally in the share price. This is because earnings acceleration considers both the direction and magnitude of growth rates. An increasing percentage of earnings growth means that the company is fundamentally sound and has been on the right track for a considerable period. Meanwhile, a sideways percentage of earnings growth indicates a period of consolidation or ...