Fool Checkup: Great Plains Energy Earnings

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Great Plains Energy (NYS: GXP) reported earnings on Nov. 8. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended Sep. 30 (Q3), Great Plains Energy missed estimates on revenues and met expectations on earnings per share.

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


Margins expanded across the board.

Revenue details
 Great Plains Energy recorded revenue of $746.2 million. The two analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ predicted a top line of $794.6 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 3.6% lower than the prior-year quarter's $773.7 million.

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 $0.95. The nine earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged $0.96 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.95 for Q3 were 4.4% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.91 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 53.2%, 390 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 37.1%, 310 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 19.6%, 320 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $490.4 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.03.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $2.37 billion. The average EPS estimate is $1.33.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 150 members out of 168 rating the stock outperform, and 18 members rating it underperform. Among 51 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 47 give Great Plains Energy a green thumbs-up, and four give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Great Plains Energy is hold, with an average price target of $22.90.

Can your retirement portfolio provide you with enough income to last? You'll need more than Great Plains Energy. Learn about crafting a smarter retirement plan in "The Shocking Can't-Miss Truth About Your Retirement." Click here for instant access to this free report.

The article Fool Checkup: Great Plains Energy Earnings 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.

Advertisement