Charting Century Aluminum's Latest Earnings Release

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Century Aluminum (NAS: CENX) reported earnings on Feb. 21. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Century Aluminum met expectations on revenues and exceeded expectations on earnings per share.

Compared to the prior-year quarter, revenue was unchanged. GAAP loss per share shrank.


Margins expanded across the board.

Revenue details
 Century Aluminum logged revenue of $317.7 million. The seven analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected revenue of $318.2 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were the same as the prior-year quarter's.

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 -$0.08. The 10 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ predicted -$0.14 per share. GAAP EPS were -$0.08 for Q4 compared to -$0.32 per share for the prior-year quarter.

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 5.2%, 950 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 0.8%, much better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -2.2%, 760 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $328.6 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is -$0.03.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $1.37 billion. The average EPS estimate is $0.20.

Investor sentiment

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Century Aluminum is hold, with an average price target of $8.22.

Is Century Aluminum the right metals stock for you? Find out the best way to profit from inflation and gold with a little-known company we profile in, "The Tiny Gold Stock Digging Up Massive Profits." Click here for instant access to this free report.

The article Charting Century Aluminum's Latest Earnings Release 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 position in any of the stocks mentioned. 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 - 2013 The Motley Fool, LLC. All rights reserved. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Advertisement