Southern Whiffs on Revenues
Southern (NYS: SO) reported earnings on Nov. 5. Here are the numbers you need to know.
The 10-second takeaway
For the quarter ended Sep. 30 (Q3), Southern whiffed on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.
Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue dropped and GAAP earnings per share expanded.
Margins expanded across the board.
Revenue details
Southern logged revenue of $5.05 billion. The five analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ hoped for sales of $5.97 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 7.0% lower than the prior-year quarter's $5.43 billion.
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 $1.11. The 15 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated $1.13 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.12 for Q3 were 5.7% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.06 per share.
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 48.0%, 520 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 34.5%, 410 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 19.7%, 280 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.
Looking ahead
Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $4.07 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.40.
Next year's average estimate for revenue is $18.03 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.64.
Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 1,022 members out of 1,078 rating the stock outperform, and 56 members rating it underperform. Among 288 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 278 give Southern a green thumbs-up, and 10 give it a red thumbs-down.
Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Southern is hold, with an average price target of $47.00.
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The article Southern Whiffs on Revenues 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. Motley Fool newsletter services recommend Southern Company. 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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