Pfizer
(
PFE
) is scheduled to report its fourth quarter 2012 results on Jan
29, 2013 before the opening bell.
Last quarter, the company posted a 1.92% positive surprise.
Let's see how things are shaping up prior to the
announcement.
Growth Factors this Past Quarter
Last quarter, Pfizer posted earnings, of 53 cents per share, a
penny above the Zacks Consensus Estimate. However, earnings fell
12% year over year. Results were hit by the loss of exclusivity
of certain products and the unfavorable impact of currency
fluctuation. We believe that the near-term earnings will be
driven by cost cutting efforts and share repurchases. However,
longer-term growth will depend on the success of drug
development. The company's pipeline needs to deliver given the
Lipitor loss of exclusivity and the upcoming loss of exclusivity
on additional products in the next few years.
Earnings Whispers?
Our proven model does not conclusively show that Pfizer is
likely to beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock
needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP (Read:
Zacks Earnings ESP: A Better Method
)and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or at least Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
or Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for this to happen.This is not the case
here as you will see below.
Zacks ESP
: This is because the Most Accurate estimate stands at 44 cents,
which is in line with the Zacks Consensus Estimate. This implies
an earnings ESP of 0.00%.
Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)
:
Pfizer carries a Zacks Rank of 3. The combination of Pfizer's
Zacks Rank # 3 and 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction
difficult.
Other Stocks to Consider
Here are some other companies you may want to consider as our
model shows they have the right combination of elements to post
an earnings beat this quarter:
Sanofi
(
SNY
), Earnings ESP of +9.21% and Zacks Rank #2 (Buy)
Onyx Pharma Inc.
(
ONXX
), Earnings ESP of +21.43% and Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)
Astrazeneca
(
AZN
), Earnings ESP of +0.73% and Zacks Rank #3 (Hold)
ASTRAZENECA PLC (AZN): Free Stock Analysis
Report
ONYX PHARMA INC (ONXX): Free Stock Analysis
Report
PFIZER INC (PFE): Free Stock Analysis Report
SANOFI-AVENTIS (SNY): Free Stock Analysis
Report
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