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Is PDC Energy (PDCE) Set to Beat Again in Q2 Earnings?

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PDC Energy, Inc. is set to release second-quarter results on Aug 3. The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarter is a profit of $4.57 per share on revenues of $1.1 billion.

Let’s delve into the factors that might have influenced this DJ Basin-focused oil producer’s results in the June quarter. But it’s worth taking a look at PDCE’s previous-quarter performance first.

Highlights of Q1 Earnings & Surprise History

In the last-reported quarter, the Denver, CO-based upstream operator handily beat the consensus mark on better-than-anticipated production volumes. PDCE had reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.66, well above the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.18. Revenues of $316.4 million generated by the firm, however, came in below the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 57.2% due to losses from commodity price risk management.

PDC Energy beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in each of the last four quarters, resulting in an earnings surprise of 33.6%, on average. This is depicted in the graph below:
 

PDC Energy, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

PDC Energy, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

PDC Energy, Inc. price-eps-surprise | PDC Energy, Inc. Quote

 

Trend in Estimate Revision

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the first-quarter bottom line has remained the same in the past seven days. The estimated figure indicates a 175.3% jump year over year. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues, meanwhile, suggests a 104.2% increase from the year-ago period.

Factors to Consider

PDC Energy is expected to have benefited from the surge in oil and natural gas realizations. As a reflection of this price boost, the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate for the second-quarter average sales price for crude and natural gas is pegged at $106 per barrel and $5.57 per thousand cubic feet, up significantly from a year earlier when the company had fetched $65.05 and $1.98. The year-over-year improvement in realizations has most likely buoyed PDC Energy’s revenues and cash flows.

The company is also expected to have reaped the reward of higher production during the quarter. PDCE continues to churn out an impressive output from its assets in the resource-rich Wattenberg Field in Colorado. Consequently, the consensus mark for PDC Energy’s volume is pegged at 21,800 thousand barrels of oil equivalent (MBoe), rising 25.1% from the prior-year quarter’s level of 17,424 Mboe.

On a somewhat bearish note, the increase in PDC Energy’s costs might have dented the company’s to-be-reported bottom line. PDCE’s total costs and expenses in the first quarter increased around 21.1% year over year to $331.3 million. The upward cost trajectory is likely to have continued in the second quarter due to service cost inflation.

What Does Our Model Say?

The proven Zacks model does not conclusively show that PDC Energy is likely to beat estimates in the second quarter. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of beating estimates. 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.

Earnings ESP: PDCE has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate are pegged at $4.57 per share each.

Zacks Rank: PDC Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, the company’s 0.00% ESP makes surprise prediction difficult this earnings season.

Stocks to Consider

While an earnings beat looks uncertain for PDCE, here are some firms from the energy space that you may want to consider on the basis of our model:

Delek US Holdings, Inc. (DK - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +4.07% and a Zacks Rank #1. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Aug 4.

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

For 2022, Delek US Holdings has a projected earnings growth rate of 353.5%. Valued at around $2.4 billion, DK has gained around 55.7% in a year.

Calumet Specialty Products Partners, L.P. (CLMT - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +30.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Aug 5.

Calumet topped the Zacks Consensus Estimate by an average of 22.2% in the trailing four quarters. CLMT has gained some 89.7% in a year.

ConocoPhillips (COP - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +1.21% and a Zacks Rank #3. The firm is scheduled to release earnings on Aug 4.

For 2022, ConocoPhillips has a projected earnings growth rate of 143.6%. Valued at around $126 billion, COP has gained around 75.9% in a year.

Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.


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