Will Puma Biotechnology (PBYI) Surprise in Q2 Earnings?

Zacks

Puma Biotechnology, Inc. PBYI is expected to report second-quarter 2015 results on Aug 10. Last quarter, the company had posted a negative earnings surprise of 32.80%. The four-quarter trailing average surprise is a negative 29.58%. Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors at Play

With no approved product in its portfolio, Puma Biotechnology is not expected to record any revenue in the second quarter as was the case in prior quarters.

The company’s operating expenses will continue to rise during the second quarter. Particularly, its research and development expenses are expected to go up during the quarter as it is investing heavily in its pipeline. The company’s primary candidate, neratinib, is being evaluated for the treatment of different types of tumor in several mid- and late-stage studies.

Puma Biotechnology’s general and administrative expenses, which increased in the last couple of quarters, may also rise in the second quarter. Higher operating expenses will continue to keep Puma Biotechnology’s bottom line under pressure.

What Our Model Indicates

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Puma Biotechnology is likely to beat estimates 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) to likely beat expectations. That is not the case here as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, is pegged at 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at a loss of $1.58 per share.

Zacks Rank: Puma Biotechnology currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. Although the company’s Zacks Rank #3 enhances the predictive power of the ESP, the ESP of 0.00% makes a surprise prediction difficult.

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

Stocks That Warrant a Look

Here are a few health care stocks that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.

The Earnings ESP for Immune Design Corp. IMDZ is +20.41% and it carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is expected to release results on Aug 13.

Inovio Pharmaceuticals, Inc. INO has an Earnings ESP of +275.00% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is slated to release second-quarter results on Aug 10.

BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. BDSI has an earnings ESP of +6.45% and carries a Zacks Rank #3. It is set to report results on Aug 10.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report >>

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report

To read this article on Zacks.com click here.

Zacks Investment Research

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply