H&R Block (HRB, $27.72) beats Q4 earnings estimates, hikes dividend and announces $405 million acquisition plans
H&R Block reported its fiscal fourth quarter earnings that surpassed analyst expectations. The tax preparation company also announced a raise in its dividend, and expressed its plans to acquire Canadian firm Wave Financial.
The company’s first-quarter earnings came in at $4.32 a share, compared to analysts’ estimates of $4.13 a share (based on FactSet poll). Revenue of $2.33 billion was higher than the year-ago quarter’s $2.39 billion.
H&R Block is hiking its quarterly dividend by 4% to 26 cents a share, or $1.04 annually.
The company also revealed that it will acquire Toronto-based Wave Financial, subject to regulatory approval. H&R apparently expects the acquisition to bolster the company’s small business market, thanks to Wave's accounting, invoicing, payroll, and payments software solutions specialized to cater to small businesses. The acquisition will be an all-cash $405 million deal.
HRB in +2.30% Uptrend, advancing for three consecutive days on December 20, 2024
Moving higher for three straight days is viewed as a bullish sign. Keep an eye on this stock for future growth. Considering data from situations where HRB advanced for three days, in of 347 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are .
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bullish Trend Analysis
The RSI Oscillator points to a transition from a downward trend to an upward trend -- in cases where HRB's RSI Indicator exited the oversold zone, of 28 resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
The Stochastic Oscillator suggests the stock price trend may be in a reversal from a downward trend to an upward trend. of 56 cases where HRB's Stochastic Oscillator exited the oversold zone resulted in an increase in price. Tickeron's analysis proposes that the odds of a continued upward trend are .
HRB may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
Bearish Trend Analysis
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on December 09, 2024. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on HRB as a result. In of 85 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for HRB turned negative on December 06, 2024. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 48 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In of the 48 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at .
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where HRB declined for three days, the price rose further in of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are .
The Aroon Indicator for HRB entered a downward trend on December 24, 2024. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating low risk on high returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 83, placing this stock better than average.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to consistent earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. HRB’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly overvalued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: HRB's P/B Ratio (189.036) is very high in comparison to the industry average of (13.148). P/E Ratio (13.394) is within average values for comparable stocks, (55.221). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.822) is also within normal values, averaging (1.802). Dividend Yield (0.026) settles around the average of (0.053) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (2.088) is also within normal values, averaging (22.805).
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a provider of tax, mortgage and financial services
Industry OtherConsumerServices