We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies, revised Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.
You are being directed to ZacksTrade, a division of LBMZ Securities and licensed broker-dealer. ZacksTrade and Zacks.com are separate companies. The web link between the two companies is not a solicitation or offer to invest in a particular security or type of security. ZacksTrade does not endorse or adopt any particular investment strategy, any analyst opinion/rating/report or any approach to evaluating individual securities.
If you wish to go to ZacksTrade, click OK. If you do not, click Cancel.
This morning’s pre-market indexes look for fresh all-time highs today, as another robust earnings season hits high gear. Commodities like oil and gold are also starting in positive territory this morning, and the 10-year t-bill is now residing around 2.65%. All good things, relatively.
Let’s start Q4 reports with the worst performer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average through 2017: General Electric (GE - Free Report) . The Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) company with a Zacks Style Score of F (Value, Growth, Momentum) missed bottom line estimates of 28 cents per share by a penny, on quarterly revenues of $31.4 billion which fell far short of the $32.9 billion expected in the Zacks consensus.
For fiscal 2018, GE guidance is currently between $1.00-1.07 per share. Recently installed CEO John Flannery has called 2018 a “reset year,” seeking to reduce corporate costs by $2 billion and laying off 12K GE workers. Also, don’t rule out the possibility of GE being hived off into separate entities at some point in the future. For more on GE’s earnings, click here.
From former owner of NBCUniversal to the present one, Comcast (CMCSA - Free Report) has also put out earnings results prior to today’s opening bell, reporting 49 cents per share on $21.9 billion in revenues — both better than the 47 cents and $21.8 billion expected. Revenues grew 4.2% year over year on growth in high-speed Internet and security and automation customers, somewhat offset by losses in voice and video subscribers. For more on CMCSA’s earnings, click here.
Abbot Labs (ABT - Free Report) beat by a penny to 74 cents per share, on revenues of $7.59 billion that easily topped the Zacks consensus estimate of $7.36 billion. Positive results were attributed to higher sales in Pharma, Devices, Diagnostics and Nutrition. Pre-market shares were up close to 2%. For more on ABT’s earnings, click here.
Fellow Illinois-based company Illinois Tool Works (ITW - Free Report) also outperformed bottom-line expectations with quarterly earnings of $1.70 per share ahead of the $1.62 expected. Revenues, however, came in light at $6.59 billion, below the $6.7 billion we had been looking for. For more on ITW’s earnings, click here.
Finally, both United Technologies and General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) — two Defense industry Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stocks -- topped bottom-line expectations: $1.60 and $2.50, which beat the $1.56 and $2.37 estimates, respectively. Revenues for UTX also beat, while GD quarterly sales came up short in its Q4. For more on UTX’s earnings, click here. For more on GD’s earnings, click here.
While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.
Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades… from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.
Image: Bigstock
Plethora of Q4 Earnings Amid New Market Highs
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
This morning’s pre-market indexes look for fresh all-time highs today, as another robust earnings season hits high gear. Commodities like oil and gold are also starting in positive territory this morning, and the 10-year t-bill is now residing around 2.65%. All good things, relatively.
Let’s start Q4 reports with the worst performer on the Dow Jones Industrial Average through 2017: General Electric (GE - Free Report) . The Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) company with a Zacks Style Score of F (Value, Growth, Momentum) missed bottom line estimates of 28 cents per share by a penny, on quarterly revenues of $31.4 billion which fell far short of the $32.9 billion expected in the Zacks consensus.
For fiscal 2018, GE guidance is currently between $1.00-1.07 per share. Recently installed CEO John Flannery has called 2018 a “reset year,” seeking to reduce corporate costs by $2 billion and laying off 12K GE workers. Also, don’t rule out the possibility of GE being hived off into separate entities at some point in the future. For more on GE’s earnings, click here.
From former owner of NBCUniversal to the present one, Comcast (CMCSA - Free Report) has also put out earnings results prior to today’s opening bell, reporting 49 cents per share on $21.9 billion in revenues — both better than the 47 cents and $21.8 billion expected. Revenues grew 4.2% year over year on growth in high-speed Internet and security and automation customers, somewhat offset by losses in voice and video subscribers. For more on CMCSA’s earnings, click here.
Abbot Labs (ABT - Free Report) beat by a penny to 74 cents per share, on revenues of $7.59 billion that easily topped the Zacks consensus estimate of $7.36 billion. Positive results were attributed to higher sales in Pharma, Devices, Diagnostics and Nutrition. Pre-market shares were up close to 2%. For more on ABT’s earnings, click here.
Fellow Illinois-based company Illinois Tool Works (ITW - Free Report) also outperformed bottom-line expectations with quarterly earnings of $1.70 per share ahead of the $1.62 expected. Revenues, however, came in light at $6.59 billion, below the $6.7 billion we had been looking for. For more on ITW’s earnings, click here.
Finally, both United Technologies and General Dynamics (GD - Free Report) — two Defense industry Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stocks -- topped bottom-line expectations: $1.60 and $2.50, which beat the $1.56 and $2.37 estimates, respectively. Revenues for UTX also beat, while GD quarterly sales came up short in its Q4. For more on UTX’s earnings, click here. For more on GD’s earnings, click here.
Mark Vickery
Senior Editor
Questions or comments about this article and/or its author? Click here>>
Zacks’ Best Private Investment Ideas
While we are happy to share many articles like this on the website, our best recommendations and most in-depth research are not available to the public.
Starting today, for the next month, you can follow all Zacks' private buys and sells in real time. Our experts cover all kinds of trades… from value to momentum . . . from stocks under $10 to ETF and option moves . . . from stocks that corporate insiders are buying up to companies that are about to report positive earnings surprises. You can even look inside exclusive portfolios that are normally closed to new investors.
Click here for Zacks' private trades >>