Core Viewpoint - Investors are seeking growth stocks that can deliver above-average growth and exceptional returns, but identifying such stocks is challenging due to their inherent risks and volatility [1] Group 1: Growth Stock Identification - The Zacks Growth Style Score system aids in identifying promising growth stocks by analyzing a company's real growth prospects beyond traditional metrics [2] - Itron (ITRI) is highlighted as a recommended stock with a favorable Growth Score and a top Zacks Rank [2] Group 2: Earnings Growth - Earnings growth is a critical factor for attracting investor interest, with double-digit growth being particularly favorable [3] - Itron's historical EPS growth rate stands at 36.7%, with a projected EPS growth of 6.5% this year, surpassing the industry average of 5.6% [4] Group 3: Cash Flow Growth - Higher-than-average cash flow growth is essential for growth-oriented companies, enabling them to expand without relying on external funding [5] - Itron's year-over-year cash flow growth is 50.8%, significantly higher than the industry average of 11.3% [5] - The company's annualized cash flow growth rate over the past 3-5 years is 4.9%, compared to the industry average of 4.4% [6] Group 4: Earnings Estimate Revisions - Positive trends in earnings estimate revisions correlate strongly with near-term stock price movements [7] - Itron's current-year earnings estimates have been revised upward, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate increasing by 11.3% over the past month [7] Group 5: Overall Assessment - Itron has achieved a Growth Score of B and a Zacks Rank 2 due to positive earnings estimate revisions, indicating its potential as an outperformer and a solid choice for growth investors [9]

Company Performance - Itron's stock closed at $132.78, reflecting a +1.17% change from the previous day, outperforming the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.8% [1] - Over the past month, Itron's shares have increased by 15.86%, while the Computer and Technology sector gained 8.5% and the S&P 500 gained 5.12% [1] Upcoming Financial Results - Analysts expect Itron to report earnings of $1.33 per share, indicating a year-over-year growth of 9.92% [2] - The consensus estimate for revenue is $609.26 million, showing a slight increase of 0.03% from the same quarter last year [2] Full Year Projections - For the full year, earnings are projected at $5.45 per share, reflecting a decrease of -3.02% from the previous year, while revenue is expected to be $2.46 billion, showing an increase of +0.76% [3] Analyst Estimates and Market Sentiment - Recent modifications to analyst estimates indicate evolving short-term business trends, with upward revisions suggesting positive sentiment towards Itron's operations [4] - The Zacks Rank system, which evaluates these estimate changes, currently ranks Itron at 3 (Hold) [6] Valuation Metrics - Itron's Forward P/E ratio is 24.08, which is a discount compared to the industry average Forward P/E of 24.57 [7] - The company has a PEG ratio of 0.83, significantly lower than the industry average PEG ratio of 2.67 [7] Industry Context - Itron operates within the Electronics - Testing Equipment industry, which is part of the Computer and Technology sector, currently holding a Zacks Industry Rank of 96, placing it in the top 40% of all industries [8]

Company Performance - Itron's stock closed at $102.08, reflecting a +0.69% change from the previous trading day's closing, outperforming the S&P 500 which saw a loss of 0.17% [1] - Over the past month, Itron's shares have decreased by 4.85%, which is less than the Computer and Technology sector's loss of 6.26% and the S&P 500's loss of 3.94% [2] Upcoming Earnings - Itron is set to release its earnings report on May 1, 2025, with an expected EPS of $1.30, indicating a 4.84% increase from the same quarter last year [3] - The revenue forecast for the upcoming quarter is $614.27 million, representing a 1.8% increase compared to the previous year [3] Full-Year Estimates - The full-year Zacks Consensus Estimates predict earnings of $5.40 per share and revenue of $2.46 billion, reflecting year-over-year changes of -3.91% and +0.61%, respectively [4] - Recent adjustments to analyst estimates for Itron may indicate shifting business dynamics, with positive revisions suggesting a favorable business outlook [4] Valuation Metrics - Itron currently has a Forward P/E ratio of 18.77, which is lower than the industry average of 20.71 [6] - The company has a PEG ratio of 0.65, compared to the Electronics - Testing Equipment industry's average PEG ratio of 2.18 [7] Industry Context - The Electronics - Testing Equipment industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector and holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 85, placing it in the top 35% of over 250 industries [8] - Research indicates that top-rated industries outperform lower-rated ones by a factor of 2 to 1 [8]