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It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Spire (SR). Shares have lost about 7.2% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Spire due for a breakout? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let’s take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.
Spire Q4 Loss Wider Than Expected, Revenues Decline Y/Y
Spire Inc. reported a fourth-quarter fiscal 2024 loss of 54 cents per share, wider than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of 52 cents. The company reported a loss of 78 cents per share in the year-ago quarter.
SR reported fiscal 2024 adjusted earnings of $4.13 per share compared with $4.05 in fiscal 2023, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 2%.
SR’s Revenues
Total revenues for the reported quarter were $293.8 million, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $317 million by 7.4%. The top line decreased 5.3% from $310.4 million in the year-ago quarter.
SR reported total revenues of $2.59 billion in fiscal 2024 compared with $2.67 billion in fiscal 2023, highlighting a year-over-year decrease of 2.7%.
Highlights of SR’s Q4 Release
Operating expenses totaled $274 million, down 12.8% from $314.3 million recorded in the prior-year period.
Operating income came in at $19.8 million against an operating loss of $3.9 million in the prior-year quarter.
Net interest expenses increased 2.7% year over year to $49.5 million.
SR’s Segmental Revenues
Gas Utility: The segment reported an adjusted loss of $32 million, indicating an improvement from a loss of $34 million in the prior-year quarter. The improvement reflected an increase in contribution margin primarily due to higher Spire Missouri ISRS revenues and usage net of weather mitigation at Spire Missouri and Spire Alabama.
Gas Marketing: The segment reported an adjusted loss of $0.3 million, against an adjusted earnings of $2.6 million in the prior-year quarter.
Midstream: Adjusted earnings from this segment totaled $13.4 million, up a massive 436% from the year-ago quarter’s reported number. This increase was driven by higher storage earnings, reflecting additional capacity and new contracts at higher rates effective for Spire Storage West.
Other: This segment reported an adjusted loss of $8.7 million, which came in line with the year-ago quarter’s level.
SR’s Financial Highlights
Cash and cash equivalents as of Sept. 30, 2024, were $4.5 million compared with $5.6 million as of Sept. 30, 2023.
Long-term debt (less current portion) as of Sept. 30, 2024, totaled $3.70 billion compared with $3.55 billion as of Sept. 30, 2023.
Net cash provided by operating activities in fiscal 2024 totaled $912.4 million compared with $440.2 million in the year-ago period.
SR’s 2025 Guidance
Spire expects its fiscal 2025 net economic earnings to be in the range of $4.40-$4.60 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at $4.52 per share, which is higher than the midpoint of the company’s guided range.
SR expects its 10-year capital investment to be $7.4 billion. This planned investment is expected to drive an annual rate-base growth of 7-8%. Capital expenditures for fiscal 2025 are expected to be $790 million.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?
It turns out, estimates review have trended upward during the past month.
VGM Scores
At this time, Spire has a nice Growth Score of B, though it is lagging a lot on the Momentum Score front with a D. However, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the top 40% for this investment strategy.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren’t focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
Outlook
Estimates have been trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Spire has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
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Spire Inc. (SR) : Free Stock Analysis Report
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
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