Can United States Cellular (USM) Keep the Earnings Streak Alive This Quarter?

Zacks

Looking for a stock that might be in a good position to beat earnings at its next report? Consider United States Cellular Corporation USM, a firm in the Wireless National space, which could be a great candidate for another beat.

This company has seen a nice streak of beating earnings estimates, especially when looking at the previous two reports. In fact, in these reports, USM has beaten estimates by over 100% in both cases, suggesting it has a nice short-term history of crushing expectations.

Earnings in Focus

Two quarters ago, USM was expected to earn 6 cents per share, while it actually produced earnings of 23 cents per share, a beat of over 100%. Meanwhile, for the most recent quarter, the company looked to post a loss of 1 cent per share, when it actually saw earnings of 57 cents per share instead, representing a positive surprise of over 100%.

Thanks in part to this history, recent estimates have been moving higher for United States Cellular. In fact, the Earnings ESP for USM 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 USM, as the firm currently has a Zacks Earnings ESP of 13.95%, so another beat could be around the corner.

This is particularly true when you consider that USM has a great Zacks Rank #2 (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% of the time, so it seems pretty likely that USM could see another beat at its next report, especially if recent trends are any guide.

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