In February 2019 we published our top ten Asia fiscal year 2018 earnings surprise candidates based on StarMine predictive analytics models. Of these FY18 Asia earnings surprise candidates picks, 70% were correct. The StarMine SmartEstimate®  is a weighted average of analyst estimates, with more weight given to more recent estimates and more accurate analysts. Our studies have shown that when the SmartEstimate® differs significantly from the consensus (IBES Mean), the Predicted Surprise accurately predicts the direction of earnings surprises or further revisions 70% of the time. When significant Predicted Surprise for revenue is also present for the period, the accuracy improves to

The history of roll-ups is a checkered one. Roll-up is the colloquial term given by investors to a company that consolidates an industry by a large number of acquisitions, rolling them up under a parent company. According to a September 2008 Harvard Business Review article authored by Paul Carroll and Chunka Mui, more than two-thirds of roll-ups have failed to create any value for investors. Let’s analyze a current example. Steinhoff International Holdings NV, a Dutch public company listed in both Johannesburg (SNHJ.J) and Frankfurt (SNHG.DE), has assembled a collection of 40 brands in 30 countries —  UK-based discount retailer

StarMine models indicated the direction of first-quarter earnings.

The holiday season is upon us, and retailers have loads of inventory. While the labor market has been improving, shoppers are being selective and cautious.

Cheap financing and low gasoline prices seem to have kicked car sales into high gear. This is benefiting most of the auto supply chain. Lear Corp. (LEA.N) is a major integrated supplier of seating components to car manufacturers. It also has a smaller electrical segment that has car makers as its customers. Let’s see what trends are in the driver’s seat.

Thomson Reuters Same Store Sales Index for October 2015 is expected to show a small gain of 0.3% and a nearly-flat increase of 0.1% excluding drug stores.

The retail sector has been a lot healthier and the near-term outlook continues to be uncertain.

The warm weather is likely to hurt retailers who had stocked up on fall and winter wear.

At the beginning of the second calendar quarter, the StarMine research team perused corporate earnings forecasts in search of companies that it believed would most likely to report a big surprise (either positive or negative) when they announced their results. All the numbers are in and we find that StarMine was right 90% of the time – above its historical average. Using StarMine SmartEstimate® and Predicted Surprise data, we highlighted 10 companies that we believed had a high probability of recording an earnings surprise in the second quarter — five likely to beat the analysts’ consensus estimate and another five