Market Update: CenturyLink Inc (NYSE:CTL) – Will CenturyLink’s Earnings Beat Expectations Again in 1Q16?

[Market Realist] – CenturyLink’s 1Q16 results are scheduled to be released on May 4, 2016. Wall Street expects CenturyLink’s earnings to fall during the quarter. Read more on this. CenturyLink, Inc. (CTL) , with a current value of $17.58B, started trading this morning at $32.03. A quick look at the market, the company’s stock traded between $31.67 and $32.30 with its 52-week range being $21.94 to $37.00. CTL shares are currently priced at 12.31x this year’s forecasted earnings, which makes them relatively expensive compared to the industry’s 3.61x earnings multiple. And for income investors, the company pays shareholders $2.16 per share annually in dividends, yielding 6.78%. According to a consensus of 15 analysts, the earnings estimate of $0.68 per share would be $0.01 better than the year-ago quarter and a $0.07 sequential increase. The full-year EPS estimate is $2.60, which would be a $0.11 better than last year. The quarterly earnings estimate is based on a consensus revenue forecast of the current quarter of $4.42 Billion. If realized, that would be a 0.67% decrease over the year-ago quarter. In terms of ratings, Jefferies downgraded CTL from Hold to Underperform (Mar 17, 2016). Previously, Deutsche Bank Initiated CTL at to Hold. When considering if perhaps the stock is under or overvalued, the average price target is $29.60, which is 7.59% below where the stock opened this morning. See more in (NYSE:CTL) Similar Articles: Company Update: CenturyLink Inc (NYSE:CTL) – CenturyLink Schedules First Quarter 2016 Earnings Conference Call Market Update: CenturyLink Inc (NYSE:CTL) – CenturyLink Schedules Fourth Quarter 2015 Earnings Conference Call Company Update: CenturyLink Inc (NYSE:CTL) – CenturyLink’s Revenue on Par with Analysts’ Expectations in 3Q15