Will Buckeye Partners Beat These Analyst Estimates?

Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on Feb. 8. 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 Buckeye Partners's revenues will decrease -0.3% and EPS will increase 23.4%.

The average estimate for revenue is $1.31 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.79.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Buckeye Partners booked revenue of $966.0 million. GAAP reported sales were 14% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.12 billion.

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 $0.87. GAAP EPS were $0.87 for Q3 against -$1.18 per share for the prior-year quarter.

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 17.3%, 490 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.7%, 340 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 8.8%, 1,860 basis points better than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $4.42 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.71.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 233 members out of 251 rating the stock outperform, and 18 members rating it underperform. Among 84 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 81 give Buckeye Partners a green thumbs-up, and three give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Buckeye Partners is hold, with an average price target of $58.70.

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