Guggenheim Raises Sinclair Broadcast EPS Estimate After Quarterly Print


27% profit every 20 days?

This is what Nic Chahine averages with his option buys. Not selling covered calls or spreads… BUYING options. Most traders don’t even have a winning percentage of 27% buying options. He has an 83% win rate. Here’s how he does it.


Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc (NASDAQ:SBGI) reported solid fourth-quarter revenue and adjusted EBITDA Wednesday on the back of record political spending for the midterm election. 

The company has repurchased around 11 percent of its total shares outstanding since August, and the key question for 2019 is whether it will continue to buyback shares or invest in M&A, according to Guggenheim.

ENTER TO WIN $500 IN STOCK OR CRYPTO

Enter your email and you'll also get Benzinga's ultimate morning update AND a free $30 gift card and more!

The Analyst

Guggenheim’s Curry Baker maintains a Buy rating on Sinclair Broadcast with a $40 price target.

The Thesis

The telecommunications conglomerate recorded revenue of $893.3 million and adjusted EBITDA of $340 million, beating Guggenheim’s estimates of $877 million and $330.1 million, respectively. Core advertising continued to gain momentum after the election, with the fourth quarter winding up as the strongest quarter of the year, Baker said in a Wednesday note. 

Guggenheim raised its 2019 EPS estimate from $2.19 to $3.11.


Want Private Access to Benzinga Analyst?

Check out the latest strategies our team of experts are using every week so that you can always adapt to the market like the pros!—Get FULL Access to This Week's Webinar Here.


The momentum in ex-political core advertising has been flattish in the first quarter, and the company expects this to ramp as the year progresses, the analyst said. 

Although auto has declined so far in the first quarter, Sinclair expects growth to be backend-weighted, Baker said. Services, which is Sinclair's second-largest category, remains strong, with growth accelerating in the first quarter, the analyst said. 

Sinclair guided to first-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $146-$151 million and projects free cash flow for 2018/19 and 2019/20 of $1.15-$1.22 billion and $1.2-$1.3 billion, respectively. 

Baker expects Sinclair Broadcast to continue to “aggressively pursue” M&A opportunities in 2019.

Price Action

Sinclair Broadcast shares were up 3.88 percent at $36.18 at the time of publication Thursday. 

Related Links:

Earnings Scheduled For February 27, 2019

Report: Amazon Makes A Play For Disney's Regional Sports Networks


27% profit every 20 days?

This is what Nic Chahine averages with his option buys. Not selling covered calls or spreads… BUYING options. Most traders don’t even have a winning percentage of 27% buying options. He has an 83% win rate. Here’s how he does it.


Posted In: Analyst ColorEarningsNewsGuidancePrice TargetReiterationAnalyst RatingsCurry BakerGuggenheim