It's Showtime for Arch Coal
Arch Coal (NYS: ACI) is expected to report Q3 earnings on Oct. 26. 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 Arch Coal's revenues will decrease -14.2% and EPS will shrink to a loss.
The average estimate for revenue is $1.03 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.15.
Revenue details
Last quarter, Arch Coal tallied revenue of $1.06 billion. GAAP reported sales were 7.9% higher than the prior-year quarter's $985.5 million.
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 -$0.10. GAAP EPS were -$2.05 for Q2 compared to $0.04 per share for the prior-year quarter.
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 17.1%, 1,030 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 4.9%, 970 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -40.9%, 4,150 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
The full year's average estimate for revenue is $4.17 billion. The average EPS estimate is -$0.43.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 1,495 members out of 1,572 rating the stock outperform, and 77 members rating it underperform. Among 313 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 298 give Arch Coal a green thumbs-up, and 15 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Arch Coal is hold, with an average price target of $11.29.
Is Arch Coal the right energy stock for you? Read about a handful of timely, profit-producing plays on expensive crude in "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." Click here for instant access to this free report.
Add Arch Coal to My Watchlist.
The article It's Showtime for Arch Coal 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.
Copyright © 1995 - 2012 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
