Why Is Zimmer (ZBH) Up 4.8% Since Last Earnings Report?

It has been about a month since the last earnings report for Zimmer Biomet (ZBH). Shares have added about 4.8% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Zimmer due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important drivers. Zimmer Biomet Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates, Guidance UpZimmer Biomet posted third-quarter 2023 adjusted earnings per share of $1.65, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.8%. The adjusted figure improved 4.4% year over year.The quarter’s adjustments included certain amortization, restructuring and European Union Medical Device Regulation-related charges, among others.On a reported basis, the company registered earnings of 77 cents per share, which reflected a 16.3% improvement from the year-ago earnings.Revenue DetailsThird-quarter net sales of $1.75 billion increased 5% (up 4.7% at constant exchange rate or CER) year over year. The figure beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.7%.Geographic DetailsDuring the third quarter, sales generated in the United States totaled $1.03 billion (up 6% year over year), while the same in International grossed $722.2 million (up 2.9% year over year at CER).Our model projected 2% revenue growth for the United States and 6% growth at CER for the International arm for the third quarter.SegmentsIn terms of product categories, post the dental and spine arm sell-off, the company reports through the remaining four product categories, which are Knees, Hips, S.E.T. (Sports Medicine, Extremities, Trauma, Craniomaxillofacial and Thoracic) and Other.Sales in the Knees unit improved 7.3% year over year at CER to $706.3 million.Hips recorded a 6% decline in the third quarter at CER to $465.3 million.Revenues in the S.E.T. unit were up 2.8% year over year at CER to $423.2 million.Other revenues increased 16.4% to $158.8 million at CER in the third quarter.MarginsAdjusted gross margin, after excluding the impact of intangible asset amortization, was 70.4%, reflecting a contraction of 34 basis points (bps) in the third quarter. Selling, general and administrative expenses were up 3.1% to $674.9 million. Research and development expenses rose 14.9% to $116.9 million. Adjusted operating margin contracted 18 bps to 25.3% in the quarter.Cash PositionZimmer Biomet exited the third quarter of 2023 with cash and cash equivalents of $292.1 million compared with $319.8 million at the end of the second quarter.Cumulative net cash provided by operating activities at the end of the third quarter was $993.2 million compared with $1.11 billion in the year-ago period.2023 GuidanceZimmer Biomet raised its financial guidance for 2023.Reported revenue growth is expected to be in the band of 6%-6.5% compared with 2022 (earlier guidance was 6.5-7%). However, the company currently expects foreign exchange to have an adverse impact of 1% on revenues now (earlier expectation was an adverse impact of 0.5% on revenues).Adjusted earnings per share for the full year is expected in the range of $7.47-$7.57 (unchanged).The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2023 adjusted earnings is pegged at $7.51 on revenues of $7.41 billion.How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?It turns out, estimates revision have trended upward during the past month.VGM ScoresCurrently, Zimmer has a poor Growth Score of F, however its Momentum Score is doing a lot better with a B. Following the exact same course, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for this investment strategy.Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Notably, Zimmer has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.Performance of an Industry PlayerZimmer is part of the Zacks Medical - Products industry. Over the past month, Boston Scientific (BSX), a stock from the same industry, has gained 8%. The company reported its results for the quarter ended September 2024 more than a month ago.Boston Scientific reported revenues of $4.21 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +19.3%. EPS of $0.63 for the same period compares with $0.50 a year ago.Boston Scientific is expected to post earnings of $0.65 per share for the current quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +18.2%. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate remained unchanged.The overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions translate into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for Boston Scientific. Also, the stock has a VGM Score of C.Free Today: Profiting from The Future’s Brightest Energy SourceThe demand for electricity is growing exponentially. At the same time, we’re working to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels like oil and natural gas. Nuclear energy is an ideal replacement.Leaders from the US and 21 other countries recently committed to TRIPLING the world’s nuclear energy capacities. 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