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Earnings Estimates Moving Higher for Anadarko Petroleum (APC): Time to Buy?

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Anadarko Petroleum appears an attractive pick given a noticeable improvement in the company's earnings outlook. The stock has been a strong performer lately, and the momentum might continue with analysts still raising their earnings estimates for the company.

Analysts' growing optimism on the earnings prospects of this oil company is driving estimates higher, which should get reflected in its stock price. After all, empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. Our stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- has this insight at its core.

The five-grade Zacks Rank system, which ranges from a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) to a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), has an impressive externally-audited track record of outperformance, with Zacks #1 Ranked stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 2008.

For Anadarko Petroleum, strong agreement among the covering analysts in revising earnings estimates upward has resulted in meaningful improvement in consensus estimates for the next quarter and full year.

The chart below shows the evolution of forward 12-month Zacks Consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Current-Quarter Estimate Revisions

The company is expected to earn $0.32 per share for the current quarter, which represents a year-over-year change of -38.46%.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Anadarko Petroleum has increased 93% over the last 30 days, as five estimates have gone higher while three have gone lower.

Current-Year Estimate Revisions

For the full year, the company is expected to earn $1.98 per share, representing a year-over-year change of -12.39%.

The revisions trend for the current year also appears quite promising for Anadarko Petroleum, with nine estimates moving higher over the past month compared to one negative revision. The consensus estimate has also received a boost over this time frame, increasing 36.4%.

Favorable Zacks Rank

Thanks to promising estimate revisions, Anadarko Petroleum currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). The Zacks Rank is a tried-and-tested rating tool that helps investors effectively harness the power of earnings estimate revisions and make the right investment decision. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Our research shows that stocks with Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and 2 (Buy) significantly outperform the S&P 500.

Bottom Line

While strong estimate revisions for Anadarko Petroleum have attracted decent investments and pushed the stock 38.1% higher over the past four weeks, further upside may still be left in the stock. So, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.

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