Shaw Group Earnings Preview

Investors never know what to expect for Shaw Group (NYSE: SHAW), as it has wavered between topping and missing analysts estimates during the past fiscal year. The company will unveil its latest earnings on Tuesday, June 28. Shaw Group, along with its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, is a global provider of technology, engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance, fabrication, manufacturing, consulting, remediation, and facilities management services.

What analysts say:

• Buy, sell, or hold?: Analysts think investors should stand pat on Shaw Group with 11 of 15 analysts rating it hold. Analysts don't like Shaw Group as much as larger competitor URS overall. Seven out of 15 analysts rate URS a buy compared to four of 15 for Shaw Group. Analysts still rate the stock a hold, but they are a bit more wary about it compared to three months ago.
• Revenue Forecasts: On average, analysts predict $1.69 billion in revenue this quarter. That would represent a decline of 5.6% from the year-ago quarter.
• Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average analyst is estimating earnings of 66 cents per share. Estimates range from 60 cents to 74 cents.

What our community says:
CAPS All Stars are solidly backing the stock with 93.4% granting it an "outperform" rating. The community at large concurs with the All Stars with 94.1% awarding it a rating of "outperform." Fools are bullish on Shaw Group and haven't been shy with their opinions lately, logging 218 posts in the past 30 days. Even with a robust four out of five stars, Shaw Group's CAPS rating falls a little short of the community's upbeat outlook.

Management:
Shaw Group's profit has risen year over year by an average of 92.7%. Revenue has fallen for the past three quarters.

Now let's look at how efficient management is at running the business. Traditionally, margins represent the efficiency with which companies capture portions of sales dollars. The following table shows gross and net margins over the past four quarters. 

One final thing: If you want to keep tabs on Shaw Group movements, and for more analysis on the company, make sure you add it to your Watchlist.

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