Can Fluor (FLR) Surprise This Earnings Season? - Analyst Blog

Fluor Corporation FLR is set to report its first-quarter 2014 results on May 1 after market closes. The company delivered a positive surprise of 3.06% in the last quarter. Let's see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Growth Factors in the Past Quarter

After a dismal fourth quarter, the first quarter for the company seemed better in the light of steady contracts. Fluor's Cavendish-Fluor partnership was chosen as the preferred bidder to control and handle decommissioning of the UK's Magnox power plants as well as several nuclear research facilities. This apart, the company also completed procurement and construction management services for the manufacturing facility of Cytec Carbon Fibers, LLC.

In addition, the company continues to benefit from a significant rise in Oil & Gas and Power contracts.

Earnings Whispers?

Our proven model does not conclusively show that Fluor is likely to beat estimates this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below:

Zacks ESP: Flour has an Earnings ESPof 0.00%

Zacks Rank #2 (Buy): Fluor's Zacks Rank #2 although is a healthy indicator of positive surprise, but because the Zacks Rank #2 is combined with a 0.00% ESP, it makes surprise prediction difficult. We caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions momentum.

Other Stocks to Consider

NRG Yield, Inc. NYLD, Earnings ESP of +23.53% and Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy).

AGL Resources Inc. GAS, Earnings ESP of +14.60% and Zacks #1 Rank.

Chesapeake Utilities Corp. CPK, Earnings ESP of +0.63% and Zacks #2 Rank.