Corporate earnings season is winding down now, and 24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the larger companies reporting in the coming week. We have reviewed the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as added some additional color on each.
Medtronic
Medtronic PLC (NYSE: MDT) is set to report its fiscal third-quarter results on Tuesday. Thomson Reuters has consensus estimates of $0.97 in earnings per share (EPS) and $4.25 billion in revenue.
Investors will need to be more selective going forward in 2015, as a merger in 2014 was the driver for its outperformance. Merrill Lynch rates the company as a Buy for its relatively low risk EPS growth outlook and potential for significant dividend growth.
Shares traded at $75.26 at Friday’s close. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $82.11 and a 52-week trading range of $55.30 to $77.39.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) will report its fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.88 and $6.25 billion in revenue.
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This company is one of the largest market cap stocks in the utility sector, which has performed outstandingly over the past year. Because a significant portion of the company’s earnings are derived from regulated operations, the stock has a very stable earnings base. Also, the company has delivered a healthy financial performance in the past and remains an attractive option for income-seeking investors going forward. Duke’s dividend currently yields 3.8%.
Shares of Duke ended trading at $79.84 Friday. The stock has a consensus price target of $85.00 and a 52-week trading range of $68.10 to $89.97.
SolarCity
SolarCity Corp. (NASDAQ: SCTY) will report its fourth-quarter results Wednesday. The consensus estimates are for -$1.27 in EPS and revenue of $71.75 million.
Solar City has come back from recent lows in mid-January for a couple of reasons. First, oil went back above $50, which matters when many investors consider alternative energy a leveraged bet on fossil fuel prices. Then the new 2016 budget from President Obama added some help for solar and alternative energy as well.
Shares ended the day at $57.60 on Friday. The consensus price target is $84.89, and shares have traded in a 52-week range of $45.79 to $88.35.
Barrick
Barrick Gold Corp. (NYSE: ABX) is scheduled to share its fourth-quarter earnings Wednesday. Analysts are looking for $0.13 in EPS and $2.48 billion in revenue.
Barrick stock has lost 38% in the past year. The company’s dividend yield is 1.7%, which should count as something of a miracle after the company wrote down $4.2 billion in 2013. The firm’s operating loss in 2013 totaled $8.8 billion. In early November, an analyst at J.P. Morgan recommended a pair trade: buy Newmont and sell Barrick, thinking that the merger between the two would come back with Barrick as the acquirer. Stranger things have happened.
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Shares of Barrick ended the week at $12.14. The consensus price target is $13.71, and the 52-week trading range is $10.04 to $21.45.
DirecTV
DirecTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter earnings Thursday. The consensus estimates are for EPS of $1.40 and $8.91 billion in revenue.
Out of all industries, pay-TV providers and airlines rank the worst for customer service. AT&T and DirecTV tied at 69 for the best score among pay-TV providers. That being said, AT&T does have ambitions to acquire DirecTV, which could further drive the share price up.
DirecTV shares traded at $87.51 as the week came to a close. The consensus price target is $93.40, and the stock has a 52-week trading range of $71.87 to $89.46.
Goldcorp
Goldcorp Inc. (NYSE: GG) is set to post its fourth-quarter results Thursday. Consensus estimates call for $0.12 in EPS and $1.01 billion in revenue.
In January, gold stocks soared as the fallout from the Swiss National Bank’s decision to end its support of the franc pointed investors in the direction of a different safe haven. Earlier that month, Goldcorp forecast 2015 gold production of 3.3 million to 3.6 million ounces, up from 2.867 million ounces of production in 2014.
Goldcorp shares were at $23.54 as trading came to a close on Friday. The consensus price target is $26.30. The 52-week trading range is $17.01 to $29.65.
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Nordstrom
Nordstrom Inc. (NYSE: JWN) will release its fourth-quarter results Thursday. Thomson Reuters has consensus estimates of $1.35 in EPS and $4.01 billion in revenue.
This company is a top retail stock and one of the leading fashion specialty retailers based in the United States. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 260 stores in 35 states, including 117 full-line stores, 140 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques and one clearance store. Last year, Nordstrom raised its dividend by 10% in February, and another strong raise could be just around the corner. The company’s strong square-footage growth profile and best-in-class e-commerce business should drive solid dividend growth going forward.
By the end of Friday’s trading session, Nordstrom shares were at $79.41. The consensus price target is $77.90, and the 52-week trading range is $57.75 to $80.54.
Wal-Mart
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE: WMT) is set to report its earnings Thursday. The consensus estimates call for EPS of $1.53 and revenue of $132.46 billion.
The retail giant has been making forays into banking. The company holds a stake of about 4% in Green Dot, a bank holding company, which launched a checking account service in cooperation with Wal-Mart last October. Wal-Mart is now offering to give customers their federal and state tax refunds in cash at a cost of no more than $7. Wal-Mart has a dividend yield of 2.2%.
In Friday’s trading, shares closed at $85.81. The stock has a consensus price target of $84.78. Shares have traded between $72.61 and $90.97 in the past year.
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Deere
Deere & Co. (NYSE: DE) is set to report its fiscal first-quarter earnings first thing Friday. Analysts are looking for EPS of $0.84 on $5.59 billion in revenue.
Looking back to the guidance from the previous quarter, the company cut its full-year net income expectation from $3.3 billion to $3.1 billion on a sales decline of about 6% for the full year and a drop of 8% in the fourth quarter. The estimates include a 1% negative impact from currency translation effects.
Shares were changing hands at $90.04 at Friday’s close. Deere’s stock has a consensus price target of $85.26 and a 52-week trading range of $78.88 to $94.89.
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