Earnings Preview: Windstream Corp.

Windstream Corp. (WIN) is expected to report Q4 earnings Friday with a conference call scheduled for 8:30 a.m. ET.

Guidance

Analysts are looking for the company to post Q4 EPS of 24c on revenue of $823.08M. The consensus range is 22c to 26c for EPS, and revenue range of $773.5M to $853.1M, according to First Call.

Analyst Views

Stanford Group gave Windstream a Buy rating, stating that the company will report Q4 EPS of 25c, 1c higher than most analyst consensus. They think Windstream may announce a share buyback program during its earnings release or soon after, and they view the stock's valuation as attractive.

Bear Stearns downgraded the company to Peer Perform from Outperform in November, based on relative valuation. Windstream was also downgraded at JP Morgan in December, to Underweight from Equal Weight. However, last month Soleil upgraded the company to Buy from Hold based on valuation.

Jefferies & Company also upgraded the company to Buy from Hold, naming Windstream their Tuesday Value Pick, upgrading shares, and believing that the company can improve operating results over the next 12 months through realization of acquisition synergies, cost cutting, top-line growth initiatives and additional M&A.