Alliant Energy (LNT) Expected to Beat Earnings Estimates: Can the Stock Move Higher?

Core Viewpoint - Wall Street anticipates a year-over-year decline in earnings for Alliant Energy despite higher revenues, with a focus on how actual results compare to estimates impacting stock price [1][2]. Group 1: Earnings Expectations - Alliant Energy is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.57 per share, reflecting an 8.1% decrease year-over-year [3]. - Revenue projections stand at $1.13 billion, indicating a 9.2% increase from the previous year [3]. Group 2: Estimate Revisions - The consensus EPS estimate has been revised down by 1.69% over the last 30 days, indicating a reassessment by analysts [4]. - A positive Earnings ESP of +9.88% suggests analysts have recently become more optimistic about Alliant Energy's earnings prospects [10][11]. Group 3: Earnings Surprise Prediction - The Zacks Earnings ESP model indicates that a positive reading is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, especially when combined with a Zacks Rank of 1, 2, or 3 [8]. - Alliant Energy's current Zacks Rank is 3, which, along with the positive Earnings ESP, suggests a likelihood of beating the consensus EPS estimate [11]. Group 4: Historical Performance - In the last reported quarter, Alliant Energy exceeded the expected earnings of $0.68 per share by delivering $0.70, resulting in a surprise of +2.94% [12]. - Over the past four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates twice [13]. Group 5: Industry Context - NiSource, another player in the electric utility sector, is expected to report earnings of $0.90 per share, reflecting a 5.9% year-over-year increase, with revenues projected at $1.86 billion, up 8.9% [17]. - NiSource's consensus EPS estimate has been revised down by 4.2% over the last 30 days, and it currently has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, making predictions about beating the consensus EPS estimate challenging [18].