AbbVie
(ABBV) has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock’s performance in the near term.
Shares of this drugmaker have returned -9.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite’s -5.6% change. The Zacks Large Cap Pharmaceuticals industry, to which AbbVie belongs, has lost 3.7% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?
While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company’s business prospects usually make its stock ‘trending’ and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.
Earnings Estimate Revisions
Rather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company’s earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.
We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors’ interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.
AbbVie is expected to post earnings of $3.43 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +10.3%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -0.1%.
For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $14.02 points to a change of +10.4% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed -0.3%.
For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $11.86 indicates a change of -15.4% from what AbbVie is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +109.7%.
With an impressive
externally audited track record
, our proprietary stock rating tool — the Zacks Rank — is a more conclusive indicator of a stock’s near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other
factors related to earnings estimates
, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for AbbVie.
The chart below shows the evolution of the company’s forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:
12 Month EPS
Projected Revenue Growth
Even though a company’s earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It’s almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company’s potential revenue growth is crucial.
For AbbVie, the consensus sales estimate for the current quarter of $14.66 billion indicates a year-over-year change of +5%. For the current and next fiscal years, $59.63 billion and $55.98 billion estimates indicate +6.1% and -6.1% changes, respectively.
Last Reported Results and Surprise History
AbbVie reported revenues of $13.54 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +4.1%. EPS of $3.16 for the same period compares with $2.95 a year ago.
Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $13.55 billion, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -0.09%. The EPS surprise was +0.32%.
Over the last four quarters, AbbVie surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates just once over this period.
Valuation
No investment decision can be efficient without considering a stock’s valuation. Whether a stock’s current price rightly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company’s growth prospects is an essential determinant of its future price performance.
Comparing the current value of a company’s valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.
The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an An is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.
AbbVie is graded B on this front, indicating that it is trading at a discount to its peers.
Click here
to see the values of some of the valuation metrics that have driven this grade.
Bottom Line
The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it’s worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about AbbVie. However, its Zacks Rank #4 does suggest that it may underperform the broader market in the near term.
Special Report: The Top 5 IPOs for Your Portfolio
Today, you have a chance to get in on the ground floor of one of the best investment opportunities of the year. As the world continues to benefit from an ever-evolving internet, a handful of innovative tech companies are on the brink of reaping immense rewards – and you can put yourself in a position to cash in. One is set to disrupt the online communication industry. Brilliantly designed for creating online communities, this stock is poised to explode when made public. With the strength of our economy and record amounts of cash flooding into IPOs, you don’t want to miss this opportunity.
Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.
Click to get this free report
