E. W. Scripps Beats on Both Top and Bottom Lines

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

E. W. Scripps (NYS: SSP) reported earnings on May 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended March 31 (Q1), E. W. Scripps beat expectations on both revenue and earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue increased and GAAP loss per share shrank.


Margins expanded across the board.

Revenue details
E. W. Scripps reported revenue of $207.1 million. The three analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ foresaw revenue of $202.2 million on the same basis. GAAP-reported sales were 15% higher than the prior-year quarter's $180.4 million.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
EPS came in at -$0.02. The four earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated -$0.04 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.08 for Q1 against -$0.15 per share for the prior-year quarter.

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Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Margin details
For the quarter, gross margin was 37.3%, 380 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 1.5%, 610 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -2.1%, 280 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $209.2 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.13.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $873.3 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.77.

Investor sentiment
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on E. W. Scripps is buy, with an average price target of $11.50.

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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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