Chart of the Day: FedEx Earnings Could Boost Downtrending Shares Near-Term

 | Mar 20, 2019 02:01

Worldwide shipping and delivery service FedEx (NYSE:FDX) is scheduled to release Q3 earnings today, after market close. Analysts are pessimistic about today's report, citing competition, global economic headwinds and trade uncertainty, and consensus estimates see EPS of $3.14 on revenue of $17.62 billion, versus EPS of $4.03 and revenue of $17.8 billion in Q2.

Shares of the stock are up 13.08% year-to-date, slightly higher than the S&P 500 Index's 13.01% YTD. The stock closed 2.5% higher yesterday, at $182.40. However, some online retailing giant comprises 3% of FedEx's total revenue.

The Amazon threat comes against a background of slowing global growth and surging oil prices, both of which could create further serious headwinds for a company whose business is transportation. In addition, the looming trade war with China has obvious, direct implications for the delivery industry. Then again, Bank of America believes FedEx could turn its fortunes around by delaying half of its planned aircraft purchases from Boeing for two years and buoying the stock with buybacks of as much as $2.5 billion.

Both fundamentals and technicals are signaling a mixed picture for the company and the stock, and the negative views may well be proved wrong, at least in the near-term.The supply-demand balance shows a short-term uptrend, in conflict with medium and long-term downtrends.