Technology

Top Tech Earnings Previews for the Week Ahead

We have entered into the part of earnings season in which most major companies will report and set a direction for the market. 24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the major technology companies reporting their quarterly results this week. We have included the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as added some additional color on each.

For a look at other big earnings in the week ahead, see our preview of top Dow earnings.

Be advised that the earnings and revenue estimates may change ahead of the formal reports, and some companies may change reporting dates as well.

IBM

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) is scheduled to release its most recent quarterly earnings on Monday. The Thomson/First Call consensus estimates call for earnings per share (EPS) of $3.78 and $20.92 billion in revenue.

The company recently announced that its research division and its partners had succeeded in creating the world’s first 7-nanometer (nm) computer chips. These chips so small that they are 1,400 times smaller than a single strand of human hair. According to the company, the alliance with Globalfoundries, Samsung and others achieved a scaling improvement of nearly 50% over the currently most advanced technology.

Shares were trading at $172.51 on Friday’s close, in a 52-week trading range of $149.52 to $196.40. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $160.74.

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Apple

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) is scheduled to reveal its fiscal third-quarter results on Tuesday. The consensus estimates call for $1.80 in EPS, as well as $49.22 billion in revenue.

This remains the world’s biggest and boldest technology company. Apple has stayed in the limelight with the release of the Apple Watch, and while not generating the kind of in-store mania the iPhone 6 release did, reports indicate that 2.5 million orders for the new wearable device were taken by the company in the United States alone, and the number continues to grow. Many Wall Street analysts recommended staying long the stock into second-quarter earnings. They see strong continued iPhone 6 sales and numerous catalysts on the horizon. The company is also widening its lead over Google in the app marketplace. In fact, revenue at Apple’s global App Store was about 70% higher than on Google Play in the first quarter, compared with about a 60% advantage last year.

Shares closed trading on Friday at $129.62. The consensus price target is $149.28. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $93.02 to $134.54.

Microsoft

Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ: MSFT) is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. The consensus analyst estimates call for $0.56 in EPS and revenue of $22.05 billion.

The personal computer (PC) business, under siege for so long because of the rise of smartphone use, took another hit, according to industry research firm IDC, as global PC sales during the second quarter fell 11.7% from the same quarter in 2014. If the erosion continues, the world’s largest manufacturers will need to reassess their businesses. The launch of new versions of Microsoft’s Windows generally lifts PC sales. However, the most recent version of Windows was not popular with consumers. The turn toward smartphones is relentless, and it has to sharply undermine the PC industry.

Shares of Microsoft ended the week at $46.62. The consensus price target is $50.13. The 52-week trading range is $40.12 to $50.05.

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Qualcomm

Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ: QCOM) is set to share its latest quarterly earnings on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.95 in EPS and $5.85 billion in revenue.

This top technology stock has totally underperformed this year. Qualcomm is reported to be losing chip business and activist investors Jana Partners is said to be pressuring the company to spin off that chip business. Jana also wants Qualcomm to cut costs, accelerate share buybacks, improve disclosures and refresh its board. Jana is listed as one of the company’s largest shareholders, with a reported $2 billion stake. Reports indicate that the company does not want to spin off the chip business, and a showdown could occur.

Shares closed at $64.34 on Friday, in a 52-week trading range of $61.48 to $81.97. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $73.91.

SanDisk

SanDisk Corp. (NASDAQ: SNDK) is set to report its second-quarter results on Wednesday. The analysts’ consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.34 and $1.19 billion in revenue.

Back in April, earnings came in just below estimates, but that was not what sank the boat. The company is becoming a habitual warner of earnings. Even just a month prior to the first quarter, the EPS estimate was $0.26 above the final estimate. Going forward SanDisk’s top priorities for 2015 are to strengthen its product road map and rebuild its momentum across the business.

Shares of SanDisk were changing hands at $55.39 as last week came to a close. The consensus price target is $69.48, and the stock has a 52-week trading range of $53.18 to $106.64.

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Texas Instruments

Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN) is set to share its latest quarterly earnings on Wednesday. The consensus estimates call for $0.65 in EPS on $3.26 billion in revenue.

This old-school chip tech company could be very well set for Internet of Things participation. Texas Instruments looks like the winner in the charging chipset solution that goes on the receive side of the new Galaxy GS6 phone, while another company has won the transmit-side. The wireless charging solution is a good example of the company’s overall broad product portfolio.

Shares were at $49.36 on Friday’s close, in a 52-week trading range of $41.47 to $59.99. The consensus price target is $56.39.

Amazon

Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) is scheduled to announce its second-quarter results on Thursday. The consensus estimates call for a net loss of $0.14 per share, as well as $22.37 billion in revenue.

This is one of the strangest mega-cap companies of them all. It has grown massively in its 20 years, more than 15 of which it has been public. The public loves it, maybe to the point of addiction. There is just one small problem: Amazon just doesn’t make enough money, as disruptive as its business model has been. Just this past week Amazon had its Prime Day, when it had “more deals than Black Friday.” Or this could have been another excuse for the company to shrink its margins even further. For all the hype, it appears that Prime Day was in fact a dud.

Shares were trading at $483.01 as Friday’s session came to a close. The consensus price target is $473.81. The stock has a 52-week trading range of $284.00 to $485.42.

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