Will These Numbers from Swift Energy Be Good Enough for You?

Swift Energy (NYSE: SFY  ) is expected to report Q4 earnings on Feb. 21. 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 Swift Energy's revenues will contract -3.2% and EPS will wane -39.6%.

The average estimate for revenue is $150.1 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.29.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Swift Energy notched revenue of $128.8 million. GAAP reported sales were 11% lower than the prior-year quarter's $143.1 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 $0.07. GAAP EPS of $0.07 for Q3 were 82% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.39 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 79.4%, 230 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 15.3%, 970 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 2.4%, 950 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $552.2 million. The average EPS estimate is $0.50.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 256 members out of 280 rating the stock outperform, and 24 members rating it underperform. Among 57 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 52 give Swift Energy a green thumbs-up, and five give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Swift Energy is outperform, with an average price target of $32.50.

Is Swift Energy the right energy stock for you? Read about a handful of timely, profit-producing plays on expensive crude in "3 Stocks for $100 Oil." Click here for instant access to this free report.

• Add Swift Energy to My Watchlist.