We've written a lot about data-collator infoUSA (NASDAQ:IUSA) here at the Fool. But the bulk of that writing has concerned the ongoing saga of company CEO Vinod Gupta's attempt to take the company private on the cheap, the board's surprising show of integrity in rejecting the attempt, and its even more surprising reversal of that show and subsequent kowtowing to management.
Today, as we head into the weekend preceding infoUSA's Q4 and FY 2005 earnings announcement, let's change tack for a moment and examine the numbers to date, and what to look for come Monday.
Only two analysts follow the company, but they make up for their small numbers with enthusiasm. Together, their consensus estimate calls for infoUSA to report $0.16 in profits per diluted share -- which works out to 60% year-over-year earnings growth.
They've got good reasons for their optimism. After all, over the past four quarters, infoUSA has managed to beat consensus estimates every time, by an average of 17%. Moreover, the analysts' estimates for full-year 2005 profits of $0.61 fall squarely in the middle of the range of the company's own predictions, made last quarter, for $0.59 to $0.63 in profits per share.
To date, the company has issued no warnings that earnings might fall short of that range. However, it did announce on Dec. 30, 2005, that it has made $24 million worth of prepayments on its long-term debt (which stood at $148.1 million at last report). Such prepayments ordinarily result in material charges to earnings, which raises the possibility that earnings under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) will fall short of estimates in Monday's announcement. If such a shortfall does occur, and if Mr. Market decides to overreact to such a development, Foolish investors might want to view any slide in the share price as a buying opportunity. GAAP numbers aside, paying down debt has to be considered a positive, in my book.
Aside from the debt situation, infoUSA's business is starting to show signs of a long-term trend of improving margins. Here are the past few quarters' results, for reference:
|
Margins |
6/05 |
9/04 |
12/04 |
3/05 |
6/05 |
9/05 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Gross |
70.4% |
69.4% |
70.6% |
72.6% |
71.3% |
72.4% |
|
Oper . |
14.4% |
12.8% |
13.3% |
17.2% |
13.7% |
17.5% |
|
Net |
4.4% |
5.6% |
5.2% |
9.5% |
6.8% |
8.5% |
Although gross and operating margins fluctuate from quarter to quarter, you can see from the above that quarterly net margins in particular grew against their fiscal 2004 equivalents in each of the past two quarters (in fact, they've grown for three consecutive quarters). On Monday, we'll see whether infoUSA is able to make it four-for-four on this front as well.
Fool contributor Rich Smith does not own shares in infoUSA.
