This company has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. In fact, in these reports, LUV has beaten estimates by at least 10% in both cases, suggesting it has a nice short-term history of crushing expectations.
Earnings in Focus
Two quarters ago, LUV expected to earn 28 cents per share, while it actually produced earnings of 33 cents per share, a beat of 17.9%. Meanwhile, for the most recent quarter, the company looked to deliver earnings of 16 cents per share, when it actually saw earnings of 18 cents per share instead, representing a 12.5% positive surprise.
Thanks in part to this history, recent estimates have been moving higher for Southwest Airlines. In fact, the Earnings ESP for LUV is positive, which is a great sign of a coming beat.
After all, the Zacks Earnings ESP compares the most accurate estimate to the broad consensus, looking to find stocks that have seen big revisions as of late, suggesting that analysts have recently become more bullish on the company’s earnings prospects. This is the case for LUV, as the firm currently has a Zacks Earnings ESP of 4.08%, so another beat could be around the corner.
This is particularly true when you consider that LUV has a great Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) which can be a harbinger of outperformance and a signal for a strong earnings profile. And when you add this solid Zacks Rank to a positive Earnings ESP, a positive earnings surprise happens nearly 70%, so it seems pretty likely that LUV could see another beat at its next report, especially if recent trends are any guide.
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