The pandemic altered the business landscape for virtually every market, but one industry in particular – cloud computing – has seen accelerated demand as organizations have been forced to migrate their workloads from traditional methods to digital formats.
Companies that embraced cloud adoption early on have seamlessly adapted their systems to manage the flow of data, while firms that shied away from the cloud have struggled during the pandemic to swiftly restructure their operations.
In 2020 the global cloud computing market size was valued at $247.8 billion and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20% over the next seven years. Dubbed the ‘4th Industrial Revolution’, smart technologies including artificial intelligence, big data, and mobile supercomputing are transforming the way companies conduct business.
The Zacks Internet-Software industry group contains many companies whose revenues stem from the cloud computing market. While the industry had a phenomenal 2020, this year it has taken a slight breather.
Despite the short-term setback, the Internet-Software group holds some favorable long-term characteristics such as above-average historical EPS growth (16.2% vs. 9.8% for the S&P 500) and historical sales growth (18.9% vs. 4.9% for the S&P 500).
Last quarter, nearly 75% of companies that reported earnings in this industry group either beat or met consensus estimates. Next, we’ll examine three companies within the Internet-Software group that are setting the stage for a stellar 2022.
Arlo Technologies, Inc. (ARLO)
Arlo Technologies provides cloud infrastructure, wireless connectivity, and cutting-edge AI capabilities with a focus on delivering a unified smart home experience. Headquartered in San Jose, CA, the company’s cloud-based platform provides users with insightful statistics and visibility to help protect their homes in real-time.
ARLO, a Zacks #2 Buy stock, is showing a notable track record in terms of positive earnings surprises as you can see below. The company has seen an average surprise of over +64% over the last four quarters. ARLO most recently reported earnings for the quarter ending in September of EPS $-0.08, a +43% surprise over estimates.
Arlo Technologies, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Arlo Technologies, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Arlo Technologies, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Arlo Technologies, Inc. Quote
For the year, the current Zacks Consensus Estimate for ARLO sits at EPS of $-0.19, an improvement of 76.8% over 2020. Over the past 30 days, four different analysts have increased their ARLO earnings estimates for the year. Positive earnings estimate revision activity can help guide you to stocks set to breakout. ARLO is due to report quarterly earnings on February 22nd, 2022.
Mimecast Limited (MIME)
Mimecast Limited offers cloud security and risk management solutions, focusing on email management services that protect organizations against viruses, malware, spam and other emerging threats. MIME is headquartered in London.
Ranked a Zacks #2 stock (Buy), MIME is showing a noteworthy history of earnings surprises illustrated in the graph below. The company has beat estimates in each of the last seven quarters, with an average surprise of nearly 22% over the last four quarters.
Mimecast Limited Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Mimecast Limited Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Analysts are in agreement in terms of earnings estimate revisions, with five different analysts revising estimates upward for the year. Over the past 30 days, estimates have increased by over 7% for 2021 EPS to $1.37, translating to a 20.2% growth rate over last year. MIME is next scheduled to report earnings on February 2nd, 2022.
Cloudflare, Inc. (NET)
Cloudflare is an internet security company whose platform provides web infrastructure and website safekeeping. Headquartered in San Francisco, CA, NET’s goal is to build a better internet by utilizing their global network to make the web more secure, fast and reliable.
Holding a Zacks #3 ranking, NET has demonstrated a history of positive earnings surprises with an average surprise of 50% over the last four quarters. The stock has exploded over 150% this year as you can see below.
Cloudflare, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Cloudflare, Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Cloudflare, Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Cloudflare, Inc. Quote
Analysts are in agreement regarding earnings estimate revisions, with six different analysts revising estimates higher for 2021. Over the last 30 days, consensus estimates have increased by 50%.
What the Zacks Model Reveals
Our proprietary model predicts an earnings beat for NET for the current quarter. The combination of a positive ESP (earnings surprise prediction) and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. In fact, stocks exhibiting this combination have produced a positive surprise 70% of the time, with an average annual return of 28.3% according to our 10-year backtest. NET’s ESP is currently +33.33%.
Looking out at next year, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for full-year EPS stands at $0.01, which would render a 114.3% growth rate. NET is scheduled for its quarterly earnings announcement on February 10th, 2022.
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