PNC — the engine's Play of the Day, fully scored
On Wednesday, July 29, 2026, PNC scored in the 99th percentile of Wall Street Analyst's 15-dimension scoring engine with a STRONG BUY signal, at $251.69 at publication, on a suggested horizon of 1–3 months. The full breakdown below is the engine's actual evidence, published the day of the call and graded in public afterward.
This grade was written by the market, not by us: the Play was timestamped at publication and scored automatically against its entry price. Winners and losers both stay up — the full record lives on the track record.
PNC screens in the 99th percentile on a fundamentals-led profile, anchored by an 82.4 fundamental score and 88.8 earnings quality — eight consecutive beats averaging a 9.8% surprise, positive revision momentum, and an attractive 13.0 P/E against 48% growth and 28.8% margins. Momentum (81.1) reinforces the setup with a +13.9% three-month run and price sitting in the 86th percentile toward its 52-week high. An earnings-intel cluster buy of roughly $11.7M across eight insiders adds conviction on the smart-money side.
This is a quality archetype with a 1–3 month horizon at an entry near 251.69, well clear of the next earnings date on October 15. The setup rewards patience — give the fundamentals time to be recognized rather than chasing a single-session move.
The technical score is neutral at 50 with a MACD bearish crossover, and insider signals are mixed — 15 distinct sellers and 58 C-suite sells offset the cluster buys. A break below the moving averages it currently sits above, or a stall in the beat/revision streak, would undercut the thesis.
The full case — all 15 dimensions
Every dimension the engine scored that day, with the actual evidence behind each number — including the ones that argue against the play. The twelve weighted dimensions come first; anything marked a supporting input is scored and shown, but reaches the composite through a capped confirmation bonus rather than a weighted share.
- Strong beat streak (8 consecutive quarters)
- Positive revision momentum (+0.15)
- Large average earnings surprise (+9.8%)
- Growing EPS estimates quarter-over-quarter
- Attractive P/E (13.0)
- Strong growth (48%)
- Excellent margins (28.8%)
- Near 52-week high (86th percentile)
- Strong 3-month momentum (+13.9%)
- Quant Grade: A- (80/100)
- Value: A-
- Growth: A-
- Profitability: B-
- Momentum: B+
- Eps Revisions: A+
- Revenue +72% (explosive)
- High net margin 29%
- Strong upward EPS revisions
- Strong analyst buy consensus (74%)
- Bearish put/call ratio (1.26)
- Unusual CALL activity (24 flags)
- Bullish sweep activity (5 call sweeps)
- Insider selling activity (7 sells)
- Held by Berkshire Hathaway (Buffett), Bridgewater Associates (Dalio), Renaissance Technologies (Simons)
- High insider filing activity (20 Form 4s in 30d)
- MACD bearish crossover
- Price above key moving averages
- Reddit sentiment neutral (0 mentions)
- StockTwits neutral
- Low social media volume (0 total messages)
- 8Q consecutive earnings beats (avg 9.8% surprise)
- Insider cluster BUY: 8 insiders, $11,697,562 in 1d
- Strong: 8 consecutive EPS beats
- Solid avg earnings surprise: +8.9%
- Solid EPS growth trend: +11.5%
- 3 C-suite buy(s) totaling $1,137,905 (+25 pts)
- Cluster buy: 9 distinct insiders bought (+20 pts)
- 3 purchase(s) increased ownership by >20% (+15 pts)
- 1 buy(s) >= $500K (total $1,004,639) (+5 pts)
- 15 distinct insiders selling (-20 pts)
- 58 C-suite sell(s) (-20 pts)
- Smart-money confirmation — moderate (+3)
A brief like this is generated from the engine's output every trading day. Today's Play is free — get it on the Play of the Day page or read how the 15 dimensions work.
The Play of the Day is the output of a quantitative scoring model, published for educational and informational purposes — it is not personalized investment advice, and Wall Street Analyst is not a registered investment advisor. Markets carry risk; past results don't guarantee future ones. Every decision is yours.