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Factor Likely to Influence Conn's (CONN) Earnings in Q3

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Conn's, Inc. is expected to report top and bottom-line growth when it reports third-quarter fiscal 2022 results on Dec 7, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fiscal third-quarter revenues for the specialty retailer of furniture and mattresses, home appliances, consumer electronics and home office products is pegged at $382.7 million, suggesting growth of 14.5% from the prior-year quarter's reported figure.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company's fiscal third-quarter earnings stands at 57 cents per share, which indicates growth of 128% from the year-ago reported figure. However, the consensus mark has been unchanged in the past 30 days.

Conn's, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

 

Conn's, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Conn's, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Conn's, Inc. Quote

Factors to Note

Conn's fiscal third-quarter performance is expected to reflect gains from strong consumer demand despite the ongoing industry-wide supply-chain pressure. The favorable customer demand and progress on its growth initiatives are likely to have contributed to same-store sales in the fiscal third quarter. Its home-related product categories have been witnessing strong demand trends.

The company's point-of-sale financing model, which offers affordable credit products to its core customers, also remains a growth driver. Higher retail sales, stemming from its in-house credit offering and new credit strategies, are anticipated to have contributed to the to-be-reported quarter's top line.

The company remains focused on enhancing its direct-to-consumer business. It has been investing in the digital platform. CONN has been making efforts to improve its marketing strategy, and expanding the e-commerce team and omni-channel facilities. Conn's e-commerce business has been gaining from enhanced fulfillment capabilities, particularly the next-day delivery option. This is likely to have aided the performance in the fiscal third quarter. Brand awareness and in-house service capabilities have also been aiding  CONN.

The company's retail gross margin is expected to have gained from the shift in sales to higher-margin products, lower third-party credit fees, and the leveraging of fixed logistic costs on higher sales.

However, Conn's continues to reel under industry-wide supply-chain disruptions and inflationary pressures, which are expected to have affected the fiscal third-quarter performance to a certain extent.

On its last reported quarter's earnings call, management expected SG&A expenses to rise in the quarters ahead due to increased investments in growth initiatives and new stores, partly offset by tighter cost controls.

What the Zacks Model Unveils

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Conn's this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that's not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Conn's carries a Zacks Rank #3 but has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.

Stocks Poised to Beat Earnings Estimates

Here are some companies you may want to consider, as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season:

AutoZone (AZO - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.76% and a Zacks Rank #2. AZO is likely to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2022 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its quarterly revenues is pegged at $3.36 billion, which suggests growth of 6.5% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AutoZone's quarterly earnings has moved up 0.9% in the past seven days to $20.83 per share, suggesting growth of 11.9% from the year-ago quarter's reported number. AZO has delivered an earnings beat of 18.6%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Casey's General Stores (CASY - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.72% and a Zacks Rank #2. CASY is anticipated to register top-line growth when it reports second-quarter fiscal 2022 results. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarterly revenues is pegged at $3.15 billion, indicating an improvement of 42.3% from the figure reported in the prior-year quarter.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Casey's bottom line has improved 5% in the past 30 days to $2.92 per share. However, the consensus estimate suggests a year-over-year decline of 2.7% from the year-ago quarter's reported figure. CASY has delivered an earnings beat of 26.1%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

Costco Wholesale (COST - Free Report) currently has an Earnings ESP of +0.79% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is expected to register top and bottom-line growth when it reports first-quarter fiscal 2022 numbers. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for COST's quarterly revenues is pegged at $49.75 billion, which suggests growth of 15.1% from the prior-year quarter's reported figure.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Costco's quarterly earnings moved up 1.6% in the last 30 days to $2.59 per share, suggesting 13.1% growth from the year-ago reported number. COST has delivered an earnings beat of 7.7%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.


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