Palantir, Plug Power, Novavax, BioNTech, Lordstown: 5 Key Earnings To Watch Today

The first-quarter reporting season is well and truly underway. Data from Factset show that about  87% of S&P 500 companies have reported their quarterly results, with 79% reporting positive earnings per share, or EPS, surplus, and 74% ringing in revenue upside. The magnitude of upside to earnings estimates, however, is lower than the five-year average, FactSet said.

Here are the key earnings scheduled for Monday:

1. Palantir: Data analytics company Palantir Technologies Inc. (NYSE: PLTR) is scheduled to release its first-quarter results before the market opens and host the earnings call at 8 am EDT.

Analysts, on average, expect the company to report of EPS of 4 cents on revenue of $443.42 million, according to BenzingaPro data. This would mean unchanged EPS and a 33.5% year-over-year revenue growth.

Investors are likely to focus on revenue contribution from mainstay government customers and the share of the rapidly-growing commercial customers.

2. Plug Power: Hydrogen fuel-cell energy firm Plug Power, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLUG) will announce its quarterly results after the market close. The earnings call is scheduled for 4:30 pm EDT.

It is widely expected to report a loss of 16 cents per share compared with the year-ago loss of 12 cents per share. The consensus estimate calls for a nearly doubling in revenue to $144.49 million.

Previewing the earnings, KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst Leo Mariani said in late April he expects Plug Power's revenue to miss the consensus by 4.6% and margin to contract slightly from a negative 19.4% to a negative 20%. The analyst attributed his tempered expectation to a 10% reduction anticipated in fuel cell systems and related infrastructure revenue, largely due to seasonality in sales.

Related Link:  Why This Analyst Is Bullish On Plug Power 

3. Novavax: Maryland-based COVID-19 vaccine manufacturer Novavax, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVAX) is due to release its first-quarter results after the market closes.

Analysts expect the company to reverse to a profit of $2.69 per share from a loss of $3.05 per share a year ago. Revenue is expected to jump over 260% to $845.2 million, reflecting the contribution from vaccine revenues for the first time.

4. BioNTech:  German biopharma BioNTech SE (NASDAQ: BNTX) will report its first-quarter results before the market opens and host a conference call at 8 am EDT.

Analysts, on average, expect the company to report EPS of $9.71 for the first quarter, higher than $5.21 from a year earlier, and revenue of $4.59 billion, up 162% year-over-year.

Partner Pfizer, Inc. (NYSE: PFE) reported first-quarter Comirnaty (COVID-19 vaccine) sales of $13.2 billion and  reaffirmed its guidance 

5. Lordstown: Pre-revenue EV maker Lordstown Motors Corp. (NASDAQ: RIDE) will release its first-quarter results ahead of the market open and hold its earnings call at 8:30 am EDT.

The company is expected to report a loss of 46 cents per share, narrower than the year-ago loss of 72 cents per share.

The company recently announced that the sale of its Ohio plant to Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd. (OTC: HNHPF) will be delayed to May. The launch of the Endurance pickup truck is being inordinately delayed.

Related Link:  Why This Data Analytics Company's 'High Growth' Will Likely Continue