Can Altria Group Beat These Numbers?
Altria Group (NYS: MO) is expected to report Q3 earnings around Oct. 25. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:
The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Altria Group's revenues will grow 0.6% and EPS will grow 3.6%.
The average estimate for revenue is $4.35 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.58.
Revenue details
Last quarter, Altria Group booked revenue of $4.58 billion. GAAP reported sales were 14% higher than the prior-year quarter's $4.00 billion.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.
EPS details
Last quarter, non-GAAP EPS came in at $0.59. GAAP EPS of $0.60 for Q2 were 186% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.21 per share.
Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.
Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 54.5%, 520 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 41.5%, 910 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 26.7%, 1,560 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
The full year's average estimate for revenue is $17.33 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.21.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 8,654 members out of 8,979 rating the stock outperform, and 325 members rating it underperform. Among 2,251 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 2,215 give Altria Group a green thumbs-up, and 36 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Altria Group is outperform, with an average price target of $33.00.
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The article Can Altria Group Beat These Numbers? originally appeared on Fool.com.
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. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. 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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