Can PerkinElmer (PKI) Pull a Surprise in Q1 Earnings?

Zacks

PerkinElmer Inc. PKI is expected to report first-quarter 2016 results on May 5. Last quarter, the company reported earnings of 86 cents per share which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a penny.

Notably, on an average, PerkinElmer beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.81% over the last four quarters.

Let's see how things are shaping up for this quarter.

Factors at Play

PerkinElmer expects the Medical imaging segment to face headwinds in the first half (down high-single/low-double-digit) of 2016. Moreover, a challenging environment in Japan is a potent concern. Industrial end-markets are also expected to remain a headwind. Management expects low-single-digit growth from end markets during the period. These factors will impact overall top-line growth in the near term.

For the first quarter of 2016, revenues are forecasted to grow organically by almost 3%. The current revenue guidance is pegged at the range of $530 million to $535 million. Adjusted earnings are projected in the range of 49 cents to 51 cents per share.

We believe PerkinElmer continues to execute its business strongly across several product lines aided by rebounding markets and effective cost-containment efforts. New product launches are expected to be key catalysts, going forward.

However, owing to the strengthening of the U.S. dollar, sluggish European macro-environment and challenges in Japan are expected to impede top-line growth in the near term.

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that PerkinElmer is likely to beat earnings this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP for PerkinElmer is 0.0%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 51 cents.

Zacks Rank: PerkinElmer carries a Zacks Rank #2, which when combined with 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult.

Meanwhile, we caution against stocks with a Zacks Ranks #4 and #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.

Stocks to Consider

Here are a few stocks worth considering that, per our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:

Quality Systems QSII, with an Earnings ESP of +6.25% and a Zacks Rank #2.

Becton, Dickinson and Company BDX, with an Earnings ESP of +1.99% and a Zacks Rank #2.

The Cooper Companies COO, with an Earnings ESP of +.52% and a Zacks Rank #2.

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