In the latest trading session, NetApp (NTAP) closed at $163.88, marking a +2.62% move from the previous day. The stock's change was more than the S&P 500's daily loss of 1.01%. At the same time, the Dow lost 0.77%, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 1.4%.
The stock of data storage company has fallen by 0.01% in the past month, leading the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 3.73% and undershooting the S&P 500's gain of 0.32%.
The upcoming earnings release of NetApp will be of great interest to investors. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $2.11, signifying a 36.13% increase compared to the same quarter of the previous year. At the same time, our most recent consensus estimate is projecting a revenue of $1.83 billion, reflecting a 17.43% rise from the equivalent quarter last year.
For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $8.88 per share and a revenue of $7.48 billion, representing changes of +9.23% and +8.07%, respectively, from the prior year.
Any recent changes to analyst estimates for NetApp should also be noted by investors. These latest adjustments often mirror the shifting dynamics of short-term business patterns. As a result, upbeat changes in estimates indicate analysts' favorable outlook on the business health and profitability.
Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.
The Zacks Rank system, running from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), holds an admirable track record of superior performance, independently audited, with #1 stocks contributing an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant. Currently, NetApp is carrying a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).
In terms of valuation, NetApp is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 17.99. This expresses a premium compared to the average Forward P/E of 14.84 of its industry.
One should further note that NTAP currently holds a PEG ratio of 2.35. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. The Computer- Storage Devices was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.53 at yesterday's closing price.
The Computer- Storage Devices industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This group has a Zacks Industry Rank of 22, putting it in the top 9% of all 250+ industries.
The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
You can find more information on all of these metrics, and much more, on Zacks.com.
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NetApp, Inc. (NTAP): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).