Will Margin Pressure Hurt Finish Line's Q3 Earnings?

The Finish Line, Inc. FINL is slated to release third-quarter fiscal 2018 results on Dec 21. The question lingering in investors' minds is whether this specialty retailer of athletic footwear, activewear and accessories will be able to post a positive earnings surprise in the quarter to be reported.

Finish Line delivered a 9.1% beat in the previous quarter. However, the company's bottom-line lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, by an average of 13.2%. So, let's see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.

What to Expect?

The current Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter under review is pegged at a loss of 37 cents, which is wider than a loss of 24 cents reported in the year-ago period. We note that the Zacks Consensus Estimate has been stable in the past 30 days. Additionally, analysts polled by Zacks expect revenues of roughly $360.9 million, down 2.9% from the year-ago quarter.

The Finish Line, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

The Finish Line, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | The Finish Line, Inc. Quote

Notably, Finish Line has outperformed the broader industry in the past month, reflecting a positive investor sentiment ahead of earnings. The company's shares have gained 28%, compared with the industry's growth of 18.8%.

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