The Gory Details on Astec Industries's Double Miss

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Astec Industries (NAS: ASTE) reported earnings on Feb. 26. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended Dec. 31 (Q4), Astec Industries missed estimates on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

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


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

Revenue details
 Astec Industries logged revenue of $227.6 million. The nine analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ anticipated a top line of $248.7 million on the same basis. GAAP reported sales were 13% lower than the prior-year quarter's $263.2 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 $0.23. The 10 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ forecast $0.39 per share. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.23 for Q4 were 44% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.41 per share. GAAP EPS of $0.46 for Q4 were 31% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.35 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 21.1%, 20 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 3.6%, 130 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 4.7%, 170 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $269.5 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.54.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $1.03 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.00.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 271 members out of 282 rating the stock outperform, and 11 members rating it underperform. Among 113 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 111 give Astec Industries a green thumbs-up, and two give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Astec Industries is hold, with an average price target of $32.89.

Is Astec Industries the right retailer for your portfolio? Learn how to maximize your investment income and ""Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks,"" including one above-average retailing powerhouse. Click here for instant access to this free report.

The article The Gory Details on Astec Industries's Double Miss 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