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SM Energy (SM) Outpaces Stock Market Gains: What You Should Know

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The latest trading session saw SM Energy (SM - Free Report) ending at $44.25, denoting a +1.42% adjustment from its last day's close. This change outpaced the S&P 500's 0.1% gain on the day. Elsewhere, the Dow saw a downswing of 0.08%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.28%.

The independent oil and gas company's shares have seen a decrease of 7.21% over the last month, not keeping up with the Oils-Energy sector's gain of 0.75% and the S&P 500's gain of 4.08%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of SM Energy in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is expected to report EPS of $1.59, up 24.22% from the prior-year quarter. Meanwhile, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenue is projecting net sales of $635.05 million, up 15.31% from the year-ago period.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $6.95 per share and a revenue of $2.72 billion, representing changes of +18% and +14.61%, respectively, from the prior year.

It's also important for investors to be aware of any recent modifications to analyst estimates for SM Energy. Recent revisions tend to reflect the latest near-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Our research suggests that these changes in estimates have a direct relationship with upcoming stock price performance. To exploit this, we've formed the Zacks Rank, a quantitative model that includes these estimate changes and presents a viable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 4.86% higher within the past month. Currently, SM Energy is carrying a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy).

From a valuation perspective, SM Energy is currently exchanging hands at a Forward P/E ratio of 6.28. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 10.36.

The Oil and Gas - Exploration and Production - United States industry is part of the Oils-Energy sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 99, positioning it in the top 40% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Make sure to utilize Zacks.com to follow all of these stock-moving metrics, and more, in the coming trading sessions.


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