Safeway Misses on the Top and Bottom Lines

Seth Jayson, The Motley Fool
Updated

Safeway (NYS: SWY) reported earnings on April 25. Here are the numbers you need to know.

The 10-second takeaway
 For the quarter ended March 23 (Q1), Safeway missed slightly on revenues and missed estimates on earnings per share.

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


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

Revenue details
 Safeway notched revenue of $9.99 billion. The 15 analysts polled by S&P Capital IQ expected to see revenue of $10.16 billion 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 $0.35. The 19 earnings estimates compiled by S&P Capital IQ averaged $0.36 per share. Non-GAAP EPS of $0.35 for Q1 were 17% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.30 per share. (The prior-year quarter included -$0.03 per share in earnings from discontinued operations.) GAAP EPS of $0.49 for Q1 were 81% higher than the prior-year quarter's $0.27 per share. (The prior-year quarter included -$0.03 per share in earnings from discontinued operations.)

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 26.7%, 10 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 1.8%, 10 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 1.2%, 50 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. (Margins calculated in GAAP terms.)

Looking ahead
 Next quarter's average estimate for revenue is $10.44 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.51.

Next year's average estimate for revenue is $44.75 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.28.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a two-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 377 members out of 463 rating the stock outperform, and 86 members rating it underperform. Among 131 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 112 give Safeway a green thumbs-up, and 19 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Safeway is hold, with an average price target of $23.50.

Can your portfolio provide you with enough income to last through retirement? You'll need more than Safeway. Learn how to maximize your investment income and "Secure Your Future With 9 Rock-Solid Dividend Stocks." Click here for instant access to this free report.

The article Safeway Misses on the Top and Bottom Lines 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