Is Micron (MU) Set to Beat Earnings Estimates?

Semiconductor powerhouse Micron MU has been on a tear over the last year as its memory chips prove more vital and valuable to an array of industries. But Micron’s current run could be slowed if the company doesn’t perform up to its newly lofty standards in the soon-to-be-reported quarter.

Shares of Micron have skyrocketed nearly 133% in the last 52 weeks, including 39% in the last four weeks alone. The company has also beat or matched earnings estimates in ten-consecutive quarters, topping estimates by an average of 10.2% in each of the trailing four periods. 

Looking ahead to the company’s second quarter of fiscal 2018, Micron is projected to see both its top and bottom lines surge once again.

Micron is expected to see its revenues climb by 55.5% to hit $7.23 billion. The company is also projected to see its quarterly earnings soar by more than 206% to reach $2.76 per share. Still, investors need to consider a few more metrics to understand if Micron is actually poised to beat this estimate and extend its current earnings surprise hot streak.

Luckily, Zacks Premium customers can utilize the Earnings ESP Screener in order to search for stocks that are expected to beat. Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) looks to find earnings surprises by focusing on the most recent analyst estimates.

This is done because, generally speaking, when an analyst posts an estimate right before an earnings release, it means that they have fresh information which could potentially be more accurate than what analysts thought about a company two or three months ago.

A positive Earnings ESP paired with a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) or better ranking helps us feel confident about the potential for an earnings beat. In fact, our 10-year backtest has revealed that this methodology has accurately produced a positive surprise 70% of the time.

Micron currently holds an Earnings ESP of 1.26%, which means earnings estimates have been higher directly ahead of MU’s Q2 results. When paired with the company’s current Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) standing, investors should consider the stock as one that looks ready to top estimates.

Micron is set to report its fiscal second quarter 2018 earnings results after market close on Thursday, March 22.

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