Northwest Natural Gas Earnings Up Next

Northwest Natural Gas (NYSE: NWN  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on March 1. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Northwest Natural Gas's revenues will decrease -1.3% and EPS will grow 0.9%.

The average estimate for revenue is $118.4 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $1.10.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Northwest Natural Gas booked revenue of $49.9 million. GAAP reported sales were 3.8% lower than the prior-year quarter's $93.3 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, non-GAAP EPS came in at -$0.29. GAAP EPS were -$0.39 for Q3 against -$0.31 per share for the prior-year quarter.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 25.9%, 250 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -5.3%, 60 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -11.8%, 290 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $379.2 million. The average EPS estimate is $2.39.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 141 members out of 147 rating the stock outperform, and six members rating it underperform. Among 39 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 37 give Northwest Natural Gas a green thumbs-up, and two give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Northwest Natural Gas is hold, with an average price target of $49.33.

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