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First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: Should You Buy?

Core Viewpoint - First Citizens BancShares (FCNCA) is expected to report a year-over-year decline in earnings and revenues for the quarter ended December 2024, with the consensus outlook indicating a significant impact on its stock price depending on actual results compared to estimates [1][3]. Earnings Expectations - The consensus EPS estimate for First Citizens is $39.46 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decrease of 15.3% [3]. - Expected revenues for the quarter are $2.23 billion, which is a 9% decline from the same quarter last year [3]. Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days, indicating stability in analyst expectations [4]. - The Most Accurate Estimate for First Citizens is higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, resulting in a positive Earnings ESP of +3.34%, suggesting a bullish outlook from analysts [10]. Earnings Surprise Prediction - A positive Earnings ESP is a strong indicator of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy), or 3 (Hold) [8]. - First Citizens holds a Zacks Rank of 3, indicating a likelihood of beating the consensus EPS estimate [11]. Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, First Citizens had an expected EPS of $47.94 but delivered $45.87, resulting in a surprise of -4.32% [12]. - Over the past four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times [13]. Industry Context - Amerant Bancorp Inc. (AMTB), another player in the Southeast banking industry, is expected to report an EPS of $0.27 for the same quarter, indicating a year-over-year decline of 41.3% [17]. - Amerant's revenues are projected to be $100.54 million, down 0.7% from the previous year [17]. - The consensus EPS estimate for Amerant has been revised up by 2.7% over the last 30 days, but it currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, making predictions about beating the consensus EPS estimate uncertain [18].