Benzinga | Feb 5, 2021 10:16AM EST

Earnings Outlook for Saia

Saia (NASDAQ:SAIA) unveils its next round of earnings this Monday, February 08. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Saia's Q4 earnings.

What Are Earnings, Net Income, And Earnings Per Share?

Earnings and EPS are useful metrics of profitability. Total earnings also known as net income is equal to total revenue minus total expenses. Dividing net income by the total number of shares outstanding yields EPS.

Earnings And Revenue

Based on Saia management projections, analysts predict EPS of $1.3 on revenue of $474.62 million. Saia reported a per-share profit of $0.74 when it published results during the same quarter last year. Sales in that period totaled $443.06 million.

What Are Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises, And Why Do They Matter?

Wall Street analysts who study this company will publish analyst estimates of revenue and EPS. The averages of all analyst EPS and revenue estimates are called the "consensus estimates"; these consensus estimates can have a significant effect on a company's performance during an earnings release. When a company posts earnings or revenue above or below a consensus estimate, it has posted an "earnings surprise", which can really move a stock depending on the difference between actual and estimated values.

If the company were to post earnings in line with the consensus estimate when it reports Monday, EPS would be up 75.68%. Revenue would be have grown 7.12% from the same quarter last year. Here is how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter Q3 2020 Q2 2020 Q1 2020 Q4 2020EPS Estimate 1.30 0.90 0.82 0.85EPS Actual 1.56 1.07 1.06 0.74Revenue Estimate 470.96 M 414.87 M 440.25 M 434.28 MRevenue Actual 481.37 M 418.11 M 446.40 M 443.06 M

Stock Performance

Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 93.84%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders can relax going into this earnings release. Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Saia is scheduled to hold the call at 10:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.