8point3 Energy Partners LP CAFD is expected to report fourth-quarter 2015 results on Jan 27, 2016 after the closing bell.
8point3 Energy is a limited partnership formed by First Solar Inc. FSLR and SunPower Corp. SPWR to own and operate a portfolio of selected solar energy generation assets. The shares of 8point3 Energy Partners began trading on Jun 19, 2015.
Factors to Consider this Quarter
Recently, 8point3 said that all project assets in its initial portfolio, which includes 432 MW of power plant, commercial and residential assets and 131 MW of assets, which commenced commercial operations in the fourth quarter are generating expected cash flows. This indicates that the partnership is well positioned to attain its targeted 2016 distribution growth rate of 12% to 15% notwithstanding the recent volatility in the yieldco industry.
In Dec 2015, 8point3 Energy Partners announced that its board of directors has declared a 3.5% hike in its quarterly distribution for Class A shares for the fourth quarter of 2015, bringing the annualized payout to 86.8 cents per share. The new quarterly distribution comes to 21.7 cents per share, up from the prior payment of 20.97 cents.
The formation of 8point3, the joint yieldco, was announced in late Feb 2015. Yieldcos own renewable energy generating assets and operations, and offer a lucrative option for investors by providing them with a low-risk return profile. Apart from being beneficial for investors, yieldcos also make it easier for renewable energy companies to raise funds for new projects.
Yieldcos are turning out to be a popular vehicle in the alternate energy space. In 2014, NRG Energy listed its subsidiary, NRG Yield Inc. NYLD, which contains some natural gas and renewable production assets.
What Our Model Indicates
Our proven model does not conclusively show that 8point3 Energy is likely to beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank of #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) for this to happen. That is not the case here as you will see below.
Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP for 8point3 Energy is 0.00%, as both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at 4 cents.
Zacks Rank: 8point3 Energy currently carries a Zacks Rank #2, which when combined with an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, makes a surprise prediction difficult.
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Click to get this free report FIRST SOLAR INC (FSLR): Free Stock Analysis Report SUNPOWER CORP-A (SPWR): Free Stock Analysis Report NRG YIELD INC-C (NYLD): Free Stock Analysis Report 8POINT3 ENERGY (CAFD): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research