Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Euronet Stock Before Q3 Earnings?

Zacks Equity Research

Wed, Oct 23, 2024, 9:31 AM 4 min read

Euronet Worldwide, Inc. EEFT is scheduled to release third-quarter 2024 results on Oct. 24, 2024, before the opening bell. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Euronet’s third-quarter earnings per share is pegged at $3.12, which indicates a 14.7% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

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The third-quarter earnings estimate has witnessed downward revisions over the past 60 days.The consensus mark for revenues is pegged at $1.1 billion, suggesting 5.7% growth from the year-ago quarter’s reported number.

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Euronet boasts a solid earnings surprise history. Its bottom line beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters, meeting once, the average surprise being 9%. This is depicted in the chart below:

Euronet Worldwide, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise

Euronet Worldwide, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Euronet Worldwide, Inc. Quote

Q3 Earnings Whispers for EEFT

Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Euronet this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. However, that’s not the case here, as you see below.

Earnings ESP: Euronet has an Earnings ESP of +0.96%. You can uncover the best stocks before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: EEFT currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).

You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Factors at Play

EEFT’s revenues are likely to have gained on the back of strong contributions from EFT Processing, epay and Money Transfer segments in the third quarter. The EFT Processing unit is anticipated to have benefited from improving travel trends in Europe, robust merchant business, and expansion initiatives. This, in turn, is expected to have fetched transaction growth for the company. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for EFT Processing revenues is pegged at $373.9 million, which implies 8.1% growth from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

Continued growth in the digital media content and prepaid mobile markets is likely to have aided the epay segment’s performance in the to-be-reported quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues in the unit is $266 million, which indicates an improvement of 0.4% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

The Money Transfer segment’s performance is expected to have been driven by an increase in the number of U.S.-outbound transactions and international-originated money transfers in the third quarter. Transaction growth within the unit is likely to have received an impetus from growth in direct-to-consumer digital transactions. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Money Transfer unit’s third-quarter revenues is pegged at $423.4 million, suggesting 6.9% growth from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.

However, Euronet’s margins are likely to have taken a hit from elevated operating expenses, which, in turn, is expected to have stemmed from inflationary challenges. Moreover, increased competition and rising marketing expenses in the money transfer segment are also likely to have dampened bottom-line results in the to-be-reported quarter.

Price Performance & Valuation

Euronet’s stock has gained 19.2% in the past year, underperforming the industry’s growth of 40%. Some of its peers, like Usio, Inc. USIO and The Western Union Company WU, have plunged 32% and 12.7%, respectively, during the same time. All these stocks have lagged the S&P 500 significantly, which has rallied 37.1% during the same period.

EEFT's 1-Year Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Now, let’s look at the value Euronet offers investors at current levels.

The company’s valuation looks cheaper compared with the industry’s average. Currently, EEFT is trading at 10.25X forward 12 months earnings, below its five-year median of 16.18X and the industry’s average of 15.16X, indicating investors’ lack of confidence in the stock.

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Analyzing EEFT’s Prospects

Euronet shows solid growth prospects driven by its diversified product offerings, geographic expansion, and strategic partnerships. Strong segmental performance, particularly in EFT Processing and Money Transfer, along with rising digital transactions, provides momentum. However, challenges such as increasing operating expenses, debt burden, and a decline in epay transactions may pressure margins. Moreover, navigating the competition in the money transfer segment is a challenge.

Final Words

Increasing reliance on marketing expenses and a hyper-competitive money transfer market is a concern. Hence, it might not be the right time to buy the stock. Investors should stay patient and wait for a better entry point, as rushing in now could limit potential gains. Current shareholders may want to consider locking in profits, given the company’s operating margin profile and minimal room for further growth in the short term.

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The Western Union Company (WU) : Free Stock Analysis Report

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