Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) will release its financial results for the next quarter later this month. Telecommunications sector giant AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) will be releasing its earnings on October 24th while Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) will do so on the 18th. Today CapitalCube evaluates Sprint’s Earnings Quality.
Our analysis suggests that while Sprint Nextel’s net margins look relatively weak, it has a reasonable level of accruals relative to peers. Our peers for Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE:S) are: AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T), Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ), Deutsche Telekom AG (PINK:DTEGY), MetroPCS Communications Inc (NYSE:PCS), United States Cellular Corporation (NYSE:USM), and Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR). For similar Earnings Quality reports on other major players in the telecommunications sector including AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) you can log in for a free trial.
Earlier this week we published our Fundamental Analysis for Sprint as well an assessment of potential corporate actions: Sprint Nextel (S): Target for a Merger or an Expensive Acquisition? Sprint did not pay any dividends. This Earnings Quality report wraps up our look at Sprint.
Earnings Quality
Accounting Quality
S-US’s relatively weak net income margins for the last twelve months combined with a level of accruals that is around peer median suggest that its reported net income is supported by a reasonable level of accruals.
Management of Reserves
The company’s accrual levels over the last twelve months are positive but around the peer median suggesting the company is recording a proper level of reserves relative to its peers.
Material Categories
Excluding the effects of change in revenue, the accounting categories causing the most impact on the movement of net income from the prior period to the current period are PP&E, Intangible Assets and SG&A.
Earnings: From Accounting or Cash Flow?
Net Income = Net Operating Cash Flow – “Accruals”
Accruals are estimates by company management of non-cash expenses, assets and liabilities that are recognized before they are paid. They are calculated as net operating cash flow less net income.
The analysis of accruals can help signal possible earnings management of reported net income and EPS results. For example, ‘Over-Accrued’ can signal under reported net income and/or the building of balance sheet reserve accounts, while ‘Under-Accrued’ can signal inflated Net Income results and/or release of balance sheet reserves to aid reported earnings.
Recent trend for S-US’s accruals
The annual trend suggests that S-US’s accruals to revenue ratio is its lowest over the last five years and compares to a high of 96.7% in 2007. Though its accruals to revenue ratio decreased to 19.5% from 25.4% (in 2010), its peer median remained relatively stable during this period at 19.5%. Relative to peers, accruals to revenue ratio fell 5.7 percentage points.
On a quarterly basis, S-US’s accruals to revenue ratio is its highest over the last five quarters and compares to a low of 10.9% in 2011-09-30. Though its accruals to revenue ratio increased to 28.8% from 21.1%, its peer median remained relatively stable during this period at 17.1. Relative to peers, accruals to revenue ratio rose 8.0 percentage points.
Accounting Quality
Net income is supported by a reasonable level of accruals.
S-US reported relatively weak net income margins for the last twelve months (-11.1% vs. peer median of 3.3%). However, the company booked a level of accruals that is around peer median (22.2% vs. peer median of 22.2%) for the same period, suggesting that its reported net income is supported by a reasonable level of accruals.
Management of Reserves
S-US’s accounting suggests a proper level of reserves.
S-US’s accruals over the last twelve months are positive suggesting a buildup of reserves. However, this level of accruals is also around the peer median and suggests the company is recording a proper level of reserves compared to its peers.
Key Items Impacting Cash Flow
PP&E, Accounts Payable and Intangible Assets have the most material impact on the movement of net income.
We assess the impact of various categories on the cash flow of the company by performing a variance analysis. For each category, this variance analysis measures the movement between the current and previous periods, normalized for the size of the company (e.g. days outstanding or percentage of revenues). This normalization eliminates any movement attributable to period-by-period growth and helps isolate the impact of any accounting policy changes the company might have made in recording the values in each category.
The chart on the right shows the impact of the top accounting categories on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s cash flow for the current quarter. We consider both positive and negative impacts on the cash flow since the categories could have either decreased or increased the reported net income.
The table below details the impact of the major accounting categories on Sprint Nextel Corp.’s net operating cash flow for the current quarter. While we have identified the major accrual categories, and conduct several tests on this standardized set, it should be noted that companies can sometimes have a non-standard accrual item that has a higher impact on the difference between net operating cash flow and net income.
Supporting Tests and Analytics
For further reference, we provide an extended analysis of the quality of accounting for each accrual category and the company’s results. We judge these results by comparing (i) against the company’s previous accounting policy — to ascertain if the policy has changed or (ii) against the peer group — to check if the company is being more aggressive or conservative than the peers or (iii) the appropriateness of the change and its implication. Log in for detailed report.
Company Profile
Sprint Nextel Corp. provides a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services that are designed to meet the needs of individual consumers, businesses, government subscribers and resellers. It provides 4G wireless broadband services. The company builds and operates next generation mobile broadband networks, which provide high-speed mobile Internet and residential access services, as well as residential voice services, in communities throughout the country. It operates through two reportable segments: Wireless and Wireline. The Wireless segment offers wireless services on a postpaid and prepaid payment basis to retail subscribers and also on a wholesale and affiliate basis, which includes the sale of wireless services which utilize the Sprint network but are sold under the wholesaler’s brand. The Wireline segment provides a broad suite of wireline voice and data communications services to other communications companies and targeted business and consumer subscribers. It also provides voice, data and IP communication services to Wireless segment and IP and other services to cable Multiple System Operators that resell local and long distance services and use back office systems and network assets in support of their telephone service provided over cable facilities primarily to residential end-user subscribers. Sprint Nextel was founded by Cleyson Brown in 1899 and is headquartered in Overland Park, KS.
Disclaimer
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This article was originally written by abha.dawesar, and posted on CapitalCube.
