Sempra Energy Beats Up on Analysts Yet Again

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Sempra Energy (NYS: SRE) reported earnings on Nov. 6. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended Sep. 30 (Q3), Sempra Energy beat expectations on revenues and crushed expectations on earnings per share.

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


Gross margins expanded, operating margins dropped, net margins contracted.

Revenue details
 Sempra Energy tallied revenue of $2.51 billion. The one analyst polled by S&P Capital IQ looked for a top line of $2.32 billion on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 2.7% lower than the prior-year quarter's $2.58 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 $1.33. The seven earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged $1.01 per share. GAAP EPS of $1.09 for Q3 were 11% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.22 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 34.7%, 160 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 19.9%, 20 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 10.7%, 80 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $2.70 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $1.28.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $9.79 billion. The average EPS estimate is $4.18.

Investor sentiment

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Sempra Energy is hold, with an average price target of $68.50.

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The article Sempra Energy Beats Up on Analysts Yet Again 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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