Comcast Gears Up to Report Q4 Earnings: What's in the Cards?

Comcast CMCSA is slated to report its fourth-quarter 2024 results on Jan. 30.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter 2024 revenues is pegged at $31.63 billion, indicating growth of 1.21% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.The consensus mark for earnings has remained steady at 88 cents per share in the past 30 days, suggesting an increase of 4.76% from the figure reported in the year-ago quarter.Comcast’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 6.45%.Per the Zacks model, the combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. Comcast has an Earnings ESP of +2.98% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Comcast Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Comcast Corporation price-eps-surprise | Comcast Corporation QuoteFind the latest EPS estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.Let’s see how things have shaped up for the upcoming announcement.Factors at PlayComcast has been actively pursuing strategies to diversify its offerings and maintain its market position. In the quarter under review, CMCSA announced the launch of an early preview of the Multiview experience on X1 for sports fans, and will allow users to toggle between channels.The company also announced the availability Crunchyroll app on Xfinity X1, Flex, Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TVs, offering more than 25,000 hours of anime.Comcast announced its multi-year deals with Warner Bros. Discovery WBD to bring WBD’s TV networks, HBO and streaming services like Max and Discovery+ to Xfinity, Sky UK and NOW TV customers.The launch of NOW TV Latino, a new service targeting Spanish-speaking audiences, which is priced at $10 per month with no contract or additional fees, is expected to have gained popularity and adoption in the to-be-reported quarter.The company's streaming platform, Peacock, is expected to have continued its growth trajectory. The rising popularity of Xfinity StreamSaver, a streaming bundle of Peacock, Netflix NFLX and Apple AAPL-owned Apple TV+ is likely to have been a game changer.With its diverse content offerings, including popular TV shows, sports programming and original series, Peacock is likely to have attracted more subscribers and generated increased revenues. Peacock’s revenues in the third quarter jumped 82% to $1.5 billion. Peacock’s paid subscribers increased nearly 29% year over year to 36 million. Comcast's Theme Park business is anticipated to have performed better, buoyed by slow yet steady occupancy rates across its global locations, including Orlando, Hollywood, Osaka and Beijing. In the third quarter, Theme Parks revenues declined 5.3% year over year to $2.29 billion.CMCSA's business services segment is likely to have shown resilience, potentially benefiting from an expanding client base drawn to the company's advanced network infrastructure. New and cost-effective mobile plans by Comcast Business are expected to have aided growth in new small business customers.As Comcast prepares to release its fourth-quarter 2024 results, it continues to navigate a complex landscape shaped by evolving consumer behaviors, intense competition and broader economic trends.Comcast’s top line is expected to have reflected a slowing broadband subscriber base as the market shows signs of saturation. In the third quarter, Comcast lost 87K domestic broadband customers. Moreover, it lost 365K video customers. The hybrid working model adopted by many companies post-pandemic has potentially reduced the urgency for high-speed home Internet upgrades. Additionally, increased competition from fixed wireless and fiber-based networks might have negatively impacted subscriber growth and retention.The ongoing shift away from traditional cable TV services has been a significant hurdle for Comcast. The cord-cutting phenomenon, driven by the proliferation of streaming alternatives, is likely to have further eroded the company's video subscriber base. Streaming platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Apple TV+ continue to offer compelling content at competitive prices, putting pressure on CMCSA's traditional cable business.5 Stocks Set to DoubleEach was handpicked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2024. While not all picks can be winners, previous recommendations have soared +143.0%, +175.9%, +498.3% and +673.0%.Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor.Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Apple Inc. (AAPL): Free Stock Analysis Report Comcast Corporation (CMCSA): Free Stock Analysis Report Netflix, Inc. (NFLX): Free Stock Analysis Report Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. (WBD): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks