Nikola Corporation (NKLA) Is a Trending Stock: Facts to Know Before Betting on It

Nikola NKLA has been one of the most searched-for stocks on Zacks.com lately. So, you might want to look at some of the facts that could shape the stock's performance in the near term.

Shares of this pioneer in zero-emission trucks have returned -7.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +5.3% change. The Zacks Automotive - Domestic industry, to which Nikola belongs, has lost 7.7% over this period. Now the key question is: Where could the stock be headed in the near term?

While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually dominate the buy-and-hold decision-making.

Revisions to Earnings Estimates

Here at Zacks, we prioritize appraising the change in the projection of a company's future earnings over anything else. That's because we believe the present value of its future stream of earnings is what determines the fair value for its stock.

Our analysis is essentially based on how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to take the latest business trends into account. When earnings estimates for a company go up, the fair value for its stock goes up as well. And when a stock's fair value is higher than its current market price, investors tend to buy the stock, resulting in its price moving upward. Because of this, empirical studies indicate a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and short-term stock price movements.

For the current quarter, Nikola is expected to post a loss of $0.09 per share, indicating a change of +65.4% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed +33.3% over the last 30 days.

For the current fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of -$0.42 points to a change of +46.8% from the prior year. Over the last 30 days, this estimate has changed +30.7%.

For the next fiscal year, the consensus earnings estimate of -$0.30 indicates a change of +28.6% from what Nikola is expected to report a year ago. Over the past month, the estimate has changed +30.4%.

With an impressive externally audited track record, our proprietary stock rating tool -- the Zacks Rank -- is a more conclusive indicator of a stock's near-term price performance, as it effectively harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions. The size of the recent change in the consensus estimate, along with three other factors related to earnings estimates, has resulted in a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for Nikola.

The chart below shows the evolution of the company's forward 12-month consensus EPS estimate:

12 Month EPS

Projected Revenue Growth

While earnings growth is arguably the most superior indicator of a company's financial health, nothing happens as such if a business isn't able to grow its revenues. After all, it's nearly impossible for a company to increase its earnings for an extended period without increasing its revenues. So, it's important to know a company's potential revenue growth.

In the case of Nikola, the consensus sales estimate of $19.68 million for the current quarter points to a year-over-year change of +77%. The $192.43 million and $533.94 million estimates for the current and next fiscal years indicate changes of +430.4% and +177.5%, respectively.

Last Reported Results and Surprise History

Nikola reported revenues of $11.53 million in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +75.8%. EPS of -$0.11 for the same period compares with -$0.37 a year ago.

Compared to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $14.52 million, the reported revenues represent a surprise of -20.55%. The EPS surprise was +31.25%.

Over the last four quarters, Nikola surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times. The company topped consensus revenue estimates just once over this period.

Valuation

Without considering a stock's valuation, no investment decision can be efficient. In predicting a stock's future price performance, it's crucial to determine whether its current price correctly reflects the intrinsic value of the underlying business and the company's growth prospects.

Comparing the current value of a company's valuation multiples, such as its price-to-earnings (P/E), price-to-sales (P/S), and price-to-cash flow (P/CF), to its own historical values helps ascertain whether its stock is fairly valued, overvalued, or undervalued, whereas comparing the company relative to its peers on these parameters gives a good sense of how reasonable its stock price is.

As part of the Zacks Style Scores system, the Zacks Value Style Score (which evaluates both traditional and unconventional valuation metrics) organizes stocks into five groups ranging from A to F (A is better than B; B is better than C; and so on), making it helpful in identifying whether a stock is overvalued, rightly valued, or temporarily undervalued.

Nikola is graded F on this front, indicating that it is trading at a premium to its peers.

Conclusion

The facts discussed here and much other information on Zacks.com might help determine whether or not it's worthwhile paying attention to the market buzz about Nikola. However, its Zacks Rank #2 does suggest that it may outperform the broader market in the near term.

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