With shares of Comcast (NASDAQ:CMCSA) trading around $50, is CMCSA an OUTPERFORM, WAIT AND SEE, or STAY AWAY? Let’s analyze the stock with the relevant sections of our CHEAT SHEET investing framework:
T = Trends for a Stock’s Movement
Comcast is a provider of entertainment, information, and communications products and services. The company operates in five segments: cable communications, cable networks, broadcast television, filmed entertainment, and theme parks. Comcast offers television, video, high-speed Internet, and voice services to residential and business customers. It also operates NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks; provides filmed entertainment under the Universal Pictures, Focus Features, and Illumination names; and operates theme parks, studios, and a dining, retail, and entertainment complex.
Shares of Comcast edged higher in early trading on Tuesday after the tech and media giant reported strong first-quarter results. Revenue of $17.4 billion, up 13.7 percent on the year, was higher than the mean analyst estimate of $17.04 billion, while adjusted earnings of 71 cents per share, up 31.5 percent on the year, beat the mean analyst estimate of 64 cents. Unadjusted earnings of 68 cents per share were up 33.5 percent on the year. Significantly, video customers increased by 24,000 in the first quarter, the second consecutive month of growth and a sign that Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) hasn’t quite taken over the world just yet.
T = Technicals on the Stock Chart Are Mixed
Comcast stock has been pulling back in recent times. However, the stock is currently surging higher and looks set to continue this path. Analyzing the price trend and its strength can be done using key simple moving averages. What are the key moving averages? The 50-day (pink), 100-day (blue), and 200-day (yellow) simple moving averages. As seen in the daily price chart below, Comcast is trading between its rising key averages, which signals neutral price action in the near-term.
Source: Thinkorswim
Taking a look at the implied volatility (red) and implied volatility skew levels of Comcast options may help determine if investors are bullish, neutral, or bearish.
|
Implied Volatility (IV) |
30-Day IV Percentile |
90-Day IV Percentile |
|
| Comcast options |
18.91% |
0% |
0% |
What does this mean? This means that investors or traders are buying a very small amount of call and put options contracts as compared to the last 30 and 90 trading days.
|
Put IV Skew |
Call IV Skew |
|
| May Options |
Average |
Average |
| June Options |
Average |
Average |
As of Tuesday, there is average demand from call and put buyers or sellers, all neutral over the next two months. To summarize, investors are buying a very small amount of call and put option contracts and are leaning neutral over the next two months.
On the next page, let’s take a look at the earnings and revenue growth rates and the conclusion.
E = Earnings Are Increasing Quarter-Over-Quarter
Rising stock prices are often strongly correlated with rising earnings and revenue growth rates. Also, the last four quarterly earnings announcement reactions help gauge investor sentiment on Comcast’s stock. What do the last four quarterly earnings and revenue growth (Y-O-Y) figures for Comcast look like and more importantly, how did the markets like these numbers?
|
2014 Q1 |
2013 Q4 |
2013 Q3 |
2013 Q2 |
|
| Earnings Growth (Y-O-Y) |
31.48% |
27.92% |
-16.67% |
30% |
| Revenue Growth (Y-O-Y) |
13.70% |
6.21% |
-2.38% |
6.96% |
| Earnings Reaction |
2.95%* |
1.63% |
-1.29% |
5.54% |
*As of this writing.
Comcast has seen rising earnings and revenue figures over the last four quarters. From these numbers, the markets have been pleased with Comcast’s recent earnings announcements.
P = Weak Relative Performance Versus Peers and Sector
How has Comcast stock done relative to its peers – Time Warner Cable (NYSE:TWC), DirecTV (NASDAQ:DTV), and Dish Network (NASDAQ:DISH) — and sector?
|
Comcast |
Time Warner Cable |
DirecTV |
Dish Network |
Sector |
|
| Year-to-Date Return |
-1.2% |
3.25% |
11.57% |
3.14% |
5.19% |
Comcast has been a poor relative performer, year-to-date.
Conclusion
Comcast provides communications and entertainment products and services to consumers and companies. The company reported first-quarter earnings on Tuesday that left investors pleased. The stock has been pulling back in recent times but is currently surging higher. Over the last four quarters, earnings and revenues have been on the rise. Relative to its peers and sector, Comcast has been a weak year-to-date performer. WAIT AND SEE what Comcast does this quarter.
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Read the original article from The Cheat Sheet