U.S. Silica (SLCA) Q4 Earnings Miss Estimates, Sales Beat

U.S. Silica Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SLCA) is a leading producer of commercial silica used in the oil and gas industry as well as in a vast spectrum of industrial applications.

Earnings

U.S. Silica’s adjusted earnings for the fourth quarter came in at 51 cents per share. It missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 55 cents.

Revenues

U.S. Silica reported revenues of $360.6 million, up around 98% year over year, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $359.2 million.

Estimate Trend & Surprise History

Investors should note that the earnings estimate for U.S. Silica for the fourth quarter has been stable over the past month. The company has beaten the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all of the trailing four quarters with an average beat of around 17.7%.

Key Developments to Note

U.S. Silica expects its capital expenditures for 2018 to be in the range of $300-$350 million, mainly due to continued investments in Sandbox and completion of capacity expansion projects started last year.

For the first quarter, the company expects flat volumes and pricing in the Oil & Gas segment compared to fourth-quarter 2017. Per the company, severe winter weather has resulted in delaying of completion activities and also caused disruptions in the customer supply chain.

Zacks Rank

Currently, U.S. Silica has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), but that could change following the company’s earnings report which was just released.

Market Reaction

U.S. Silica’s shares were down 6.5% in the pre-market trading. It would be interesting to see how the market reacts to the results during the trading session today.

Check back later for our full write up on U.S. Silica’s earnings report!

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