Investors Heavily Search Groupon, Inc.: Here is What You Need to Know

Groupon GRPN is one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com visitors lately. So, it might be a good idea to review some of the factors that might affect the near-term performance of the stock.

Over the past month, shares of this online daily deal service have returned +68.9%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5% change. During this period, the Zacks Internet - Commerce industry, which Groupon falls in, has gained 5.5%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction?

While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.

Earnings Estimate Revisions

Rather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.

We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements.

Groupon is expected to post a loss of $0.16 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of -60%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged.

The consensus earnings estimate of $0.05 for the current fiscal year indicates a year-over-year change of +109.6%. This estimate has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of $0.33 indicates a change of +560% from what Groupon is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has remained unchanged.

With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) for Groupon.

The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Revenue Growth Forecast

Even though a company's earnings growth is arguably the best indicator of its financial health, nothing much happens if it cannot raise its revenues. It's almost impossible for a company to grow its earnings without growing its revenue for long periods. Therefore, knowing a company's potential revenue growth is crucial.

In the case of Groupon, the consensus sales estimate of $123.83 million for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of -4.1%. The $539.26 million and $579.85 million estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +4.7% and +7.5%, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise History

Groupon reported revenues of $123.08 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +1.2%. EPS of $0.06 for the same period compares with -$0.65 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $118.37 million, the reported revenues represent a surprise of +3.98%. The EPS surprise was +133.33%.

The company beat consensus EPS estimates in each of the trailing four quarters. The company topped consensus revenue estimates three times over this period.

Valuation

Without considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.

While comparing the current values of a company's valuation multiples, such as price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S) and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), with its own historical values helps determine whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of the reasonability of the stock's price.

The Zacks Value Style Score (part of the Zacks Style Scores system), which pays close attention to both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics to grade stocks from A to F (an An is better than a B; a B is better than a C; and so on), is pretty helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

Groupon is graded C on this front, indicating that it is trading at par with its peers.

Bottom Line

The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Groupon. However, its Zacks Rank #1 does suggest that it may outperform the broader market in the near term.

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