Werner Enterprises (WERN) 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.
The rising trend in estimate revisions, which is a result of growing analyst optimism on the earnings prospects of this transportation company, 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 -- is principally built on this insight.
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 Werner Enterprises, 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
For the current quarter, the company is expected to earn $0.22 per share, which is a change of +100.0% from the year-ago reported number.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Werner has increased 6.56% over the last 30 days, as two estimates have gone higher while one has gone lower.
Current-Year Estimate Revisions
For the full year, the company is expected to earn $1.02 per share, representing a year-over-year change of +5,200.0%.
The revisions trend for the current year also appears quite promising for Werner, with four estimates moving higher over the past month compared to no negative revisions. The consensus estimate has also received a boost over this time frame, increasing 7.99%.
Favorable Zacks Rank
The promising estimate revisions have helped Werner earn 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
Investors have been betting on Werner because of its solid estimate revisions, as evident from the stock's 6.4% gain over the past four weeks. As its earnings growth prospects might push the stock higher, you may consider adding it to your portfolio right away.
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Werner Enterprises, Inc. (WERN): Free Stock Analysis Report
This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).