Xerox Beats Up on Analysts Yet Again

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Xerox (NYS: XRX) reported earnings on Jan. 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Xerox met expectations on revenues and beat expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue was unchanged, and earnings per share increased significantly.

Gross margins shrank, operating margins contracted, and net margins improved.

Revenue details
Xerox chalked up revenue of $6.0 billion. The six analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ foresaw a top line of $6.0 billion. Sales were 0.2% lower than the prior-year quarter's $6.0 billion

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions.

EPS details
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.33. The nine earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted $0.33 per share on the same basis. GAAP EPS of $0.26 for Q4 were 139% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.11 per share.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Figures may be non-GAAP to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 33.2%, 40 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 8.6%, 30 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 6.3%, 340 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $5.5 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.24.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $23.1 billion. The average EPS estimate is $1.16.

Investor sentiment
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Xerox is outperform, with an average price target of $9.78.

At the time thisarticle was published Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor ofMotley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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