F5 Networks (FFIV) Q2 Earnings: Will it Pull Off a Surprise?

F5 Networks Inc. FFIV is set to report second-quarter 2017 results on Apr 26. Last quarter, the company posted a negative earnings surprise of 3.27%. Notably, F5 Networks outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in two of the trailing four quarters with an average positive earnings surprise of 1.57%.

Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.

Factors to Consider

F5 Networks reported not-so encouraging first-quarter fiscal 2017 results, as the bottom line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimates and the top line beat the same by a slight margin. However, year-over-year comparisons on both counts were favorable.

It needs to be mentioned that the company’s GBB pricing strategy and its BIG-IQ platform remain tailwinds. Revenue growth seems to be steady and was positively impacted by strength across all its business segments and higher software revenues.

We believe that the company’s product refreshes will boost revenues, going forward. Moreover, these initiatives are expected to expand the company’s total addressable market and result in client wins.

Better execution and focus on enterprise and service providers have placed F5 Networks well in the application delivery controller market. Nevertheless, a volatile spending atmosphere and competition from Juniper Networks Inc. JNPR remain concerns.

F5 Networks, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

 

F5 Networks, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | F5 Networks, Inc. Quote

Earnings Whispers

Our proven model does not conclusively show that F5 Networkswill beat earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here, as you will see below.

Zacks ESP: Both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at $1.52 per share. Hence, the difference is 0.00%.You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank:F5 Networks carries a Zacks Rank #3. Though Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 increases the predictive power of ESP, the company’s ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult.

We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 and 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions.

Here are a couple of companies which, as per our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.

Seagate Technology PLC STX, with an Earnings ESP of +3.77% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

AMETEK Inc. AME, with an Earnings ESP of +1.79% and a Zacks Rank #3.

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Seagate Technology PLC (STX): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
F5 Networks, Inc. (FFIV): Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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