Suburban Propane Partners Misses on the Top and Bottom Lines

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Suburban Propane Partners (NYS: SPH) reported earnings on Feb. 2. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Dec. 24 (Q1), Suburban Propane Partners missed estimates on revenues and missed expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue dropped and GAAP earnings per share shrank significantly.

Margins contracted across the board.

Revenue details
Suburban Propane Partners recorded revenue of $299.9 million. The four analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ predicted net sales of $317.3 million. Sales were 8.7% lower than the prior-year quarter's $328.3 million.

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

EPS details
Non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.68. The four earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $1.01 per share on the same basis. GAAP EPS of $0.65 for Q1 were 46% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.21 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 16.8%, 540 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 10.1%, 520 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 7.7%, 540 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $462 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $2.63.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $1.17 billion. The average EPS estimate is $3.13.

Investor sentiment
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Suburban Propane Partners is hold, with an average price target of $47.21.

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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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