Will These Numbers from Zoltek Companies Be Good Enough for You?

Zoltek Companies (Nasdaq: ZOLT  ) is expected to report Q1 earnings around Feb. 1. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Zoltek Companies's revenues will wane -8.6% and EPS will shrink -53.6%.

The average estimate for revenue is $43.0 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.13.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Zoltek Companies recorded revenue of $44.2 million. GAAP reported sales were 2.5% higher than the prior-year quarter's $43.1 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, EPS came in at $0.12. GAAP EPS of $0.12 for Q4 were 7.7% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.13 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 23.1%, 750 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 12.0%, 970 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 9.6%, 100 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $171.3 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.50.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 721 members out of 763 rating the stock outperform, and 42 members rating it underperform. Among 158 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 144 give Zoltek Companies a green thumbs-up, and 14 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Zoltek Companies is outperform, with an average price target of $11.50.

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