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H&R Block (HRB): Will it Disappoint Again in Q2 Earnings?

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H&R Block Inc. (HRB - Free Report) is set to report second-quarter fiscal 2017 results after the market closes on Dec 7. Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 3.8%. Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

H&R Block is a leading provider of tax preparation services. Through its subsidiaries, the company provides tax, accounting and business consulting services and products. Brothers Henry W. Bloch and Richard A. Bloch founded the company in 1955. It was organized as a corporation that year under the laws of the State of Missouri and is headquartered in Kansas City, MO.

Factors Influencing Quarterly Results

During the quarter, H&R Block collaborated with Meta Financial Group, Inc. (CASH - Free Report) to create up to $1.45 billion and preserve up to $750 million of interest-free Refund Advance loans for its tax preparation customers for the 2017 tax period. This product is a perfect addition to the company’s existing suite of products, which is likely to improve its top line, going forward.

On Sep 29, 2016, BofI Federal Bank, a subsidiary of BofI Holding, Inc. , signed strategic agreements with certain H&R Block entities MetaBank, and Specialty Consumer Services for performing some disbursement and repayment services. The bank will also provide funding up to $700 million of interest-free Refund Advance loans to tax preparation customers in H&R Block’s retail locations for the 2017 tax period.

The performance of the company is tied to the overall health of the economy. With stressed economic environment the overall tax filing market is expected to remain under pressure. As a result, we expect earnings of H&R Block to remain stressed.

H&R Block faces huge litigations in connection with its various operating activities. It is exposed to employment related lawsuits in various parts of the country and compliance fee litigation in Missouri state and federal courts. Such litigations weigh on investor sentiment and hamper the company’s goodwill. Moreover, its debt-to-equity ratio compares unfavorably with the sector’s average. Additionally, the cash position of the company is fluctuating in nature. This raises skepticism about the company’s ability to engage in de-leveraging activities.

With respect to the surprise trend, H&R Block lagged expectations in three of the last four quarters, resulting in an average negative surprise of 9.1%.

For the second quarter, H&R Block expects adjusted EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) margin to be in the range of 28–32%.

BLOCK H & R Price and EPS Surprise

 

BLOCK H & R Price and EPS Surprise | BLOCK H & R Quote

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that H&R Block 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. This is not the case here as you will see below. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate, stands at -4.41%.  

Zacks Rank: H&R Block carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

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

Stock to Consider

Dave & Buster's Entertainment, Inc. (PLAY - Free Report) , with an Earnings ESP of +7.69% and a Zacks Rank #3, is expected to beat estimates during its next earnings release, which is scheduled for Dec 6, 2016. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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