We are in the final lap of the fourth-quarter earnings season, with 358 companies on the S&P 500 index having already reported their quarterly numbers. The results so far have been quite encouraging with growth on track to be the highest in two years and total earnings for the quarter set to be a new quarterly record.
Per the latest Earnings Preview report, considering the actual results from the S&P 500 members that have reported, total earnings are expected to rise 7.5% year over year on the back of a 3.9% growth in revenues.
In this write-up, we put the spotlight on a few agriculture companies that are scheduled to report their quarterly results on Feb 15.
The agriculture market is not out of the woods yet and negative sentiment among investors keen on this space prevails. The persistent softness in agricultural commodity pricing is a concern for fertilizer and agricultural chemicals companies as it is hindering fertilizer use by farmers given the adverse effect of lower crop pricing on growers’ income. Lower farm income has a negative influence on growers’ nutrient purchasing decisions.
A challenging currency environment along with economic weakness has also slowed down demand for nutrients across certain emerging markets. Further, fertilizer makers remain exposed to a difficult pricing environment for the nutrients they sell. Global capacity expansion continues to exert pressure on fertilizer prices. Margins of these companies remain thwarted by a weak nutrient pricing environment.
The Andersons, Inc. ANDE is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2016 results after the close of market. In the last reported quarter, Andersons reported third-quarter 2016 earnings of 6 cents per share, marking a reversal from the prior-year quarter’s loss of 4 cents per share despite a 5.4% drop in revenues.
The Andersons, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
The Andersons, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | The Andersons, Inc. Quote
The company reported a 73.91% negative earnings surprise in the last quarter. In the past four quarters, the company has a average negative earnings surprise of 392.23%.
Andersons has underperformed the Zacks categorized Agriculture/Products industry in the past three months. The Andersons stock has advanced 7.8% while the sub industry has gained 10.4% in the same time frame.
Oversupply and falling prices continue to challenge Andersons’ Plant Nutrient volumes and margins while softening of railcar demand and lower utilization levels will hurt the Rail Group.
Our proven model does not conclusively show that Andersons is likely to beat estimates this quarter. This 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. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter .
Though Andersons’ Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of the ESP, its 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here .
Bunge Limited BG is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2016 earnings before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the company had reported a drop in earnings despite an increase in revenues.
Bunge Limited Price and EPS Surprise
Bunge Limited Price and EPS Surprise | Bunge Limited Quote
Bunge had reported a negative earnings surprise of 9.88% in the last quarter. Bunge beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the last four quarters while it missed the same twice. Overall, the company has a positive earnings surprise of 42.29%.
Bunge has underperformed the Zacks categorized Agriculture/Products industry in the past three months. The stock has increased 2.5% while the sub industry has witnessed a gain of 10.4% in the same time period.
The combination of Bunge’s Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) and an Earnings ESP of -5.00% makes an earnings beat unlikely this quarter. Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into an earnings announcement.
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. CF is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2016 results after the bell. In the third quarter, the company had reported decline in both the top line and bottom line.
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | CF Industries Holdings, Inc. Quote
In the last reported quarter, the company had delivered a positive earnings surprise of 160.00%. CF Industries missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters with an average negative surprise of 18.83%.
CF Industries has outperformed the Zacks categorized Fertilizers industry in the past three months. The company’s shares have surged around 30.2% over this period, compared with the 13.3% increase recorded by the industry.
A difficult pricing environment is expected to continue to weigh on the company’s sales in the fourth quarter. The company has an Earnings ESP of -50.00% and a Zacks Rank #3, making it difficult to predict an earnings beat. (Read more: CF Industries Q4 Earnings Preview: What’s in the Cards? )
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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