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What You Should Know About Block (SQ) Ahead of Q1 Earnings

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Block, Inc. (SQ - Free Report) is scheduled to report its first-quarter 2024 results on May 2.

The company has been benefiting from strong Cash App engagement, driven by its robust financial services products like Cash App Card. Its expanding presence in the “buy now, pay later” market, driven by strength across its Pay-in-Four and Single Use Payments offerings, is expected to have continued driving SQ’s top-line growth in the quarter under review.

Strength across the Square ecosystem, on the back of its robust software and banking products and point-of-sale solutions, is likely to have contributed well to Gross Payment Volume (GPV) growth in the to-be-reported quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for GPV is pegged at $54.9 billion, indicating growth of 7.4% from the year-ago reported figure.

Growing momentum across its transaction-based, subscription and bitcoin businesses is expected to have contributed well.

Integrations across the company’s product lines, which deliver enhanced user experience, are expected to have contributed to seller base growth in the quarter under review.

However, macroeconomic uncertainties and consumer discretionary spending are anticipated to have weighed on the company’s profitability in the first quarter.

Block, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Block, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Block, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Block, Inc. Quote

Estimates Trend

For the first quarter of 2024, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $5.73 billion, suggesting growth of 14.8% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

The consensus mark for earnings is pegged at 62 cents per share, indicating a rise of 55% from the year-ago quarter’s reported number. The consensus mark has decreased 1.6% in the past 30 days.

What Our Model Says

Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here.

Block currently has an Earnings ESP of -2.24% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Stocks to Consider

Here are some stocks worth considering, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to beat on earnings this season.

APi Group (APG - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.06% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

APi Group is scheduled to release first-quarter 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APG’s earnings is pegged at 32 cents per share, indicating growth of 28% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

Arista Networks (ANET - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.49% and a Zacks Rank #1 at present.

ANET is set to report its first-quarter 2024 results on May 7. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for ANET’s earnings is pegged at $1.74 per share, indicating growth of 21.7% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

Cardinal Health (CAH - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.11% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present.

CAH is scheduled to release third-quarter fiscal 2024 results on May 2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CAH’s earnings is pegged at $1.95 per share, indicating growth of 12.1% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.

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