The most recent trading session ended with Blue Bird (BLBD) standing at $40.29, reflecting a +0.02% shift from the previouse trading day's closing. The stock fell short of the S&P 500, which registered a gain of 0.16% for the day. Elsewhere, the Dow gained 0.25%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.06%.
Heading into today, shares of the school bus maker had gained 0.67% over the past month, outpacing the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector's loss of 2.03% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.8% in that time.
Market participants will be closely following the financial results of Blue Bird in its upcoming release. The company's upcoming EPS is projected at $0.83, signifying an 8.79% drop compared to the same quarter of the previous year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $355 million, up 11.75% from the prior-year quarter.
Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $3.88 per share and revenue of $1.5 billion. These totals would mark changes of +12.14% and +10.97%, respectively, from last year.
It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for Blue Bird. These revisions typically reflect the latest short-term business trends, which can change frequently. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.
Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable 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 last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged. At present, Blue Bird boasts a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).
In terms of valuation, Blue Bird is currently trading at a Forward P/E ratio of 10.38. This represents a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 14.11.
It is also worth noting that BLBD currently has a PEG ratio of 0.99. This metric is used similarly to the famous P/E ratio, but the PEG ratio also takes into account the stock's expected earnings growth rate. The Automotive - Domestic was holding an average PEG ratio of 1.69 at yesterday's closing price.
The Automotive - Domestic industry is part of the Auto-Tires-Trucks sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 39, which puts it in the top 16% of all 250+ industries.
The Zacks Industry Rank gauges the strength of our industry groups by measuring the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.
Don't forget to use Zacks.com to keep track of all these stock-moving metrics, and others, in the upcoming trading sessions.
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