AMTD and VISX post good earnings! VISX announces stock split! Ameritrade 2nd-Qtr Profit 14c-Shr: Earnings Instant Insight
Expected Market Reaction
Substantial. Ameritrade Holding Corp. said fiscal second- quarter net income was $8.1 million, or 14 cents a share, compared to a loss of $300,000, or less than a penny a share, a year ago.
That beat the 7-cent average forecast of six analysts surveyed by First Call Corp.
Behind the Numbers
Ameritrade, the sixth-largest online broker, said it opened 82,000 new accounts in the three-month period ended March 31. Revenue more than doubled from a year ago to $63.7 million.
Average daily trades rose 56 percent from the previous quarter to 52,218 a day. Advertising expenses rose 38 percent to $13.2 million, from $9.6 million in the first quarter.
What the Experts Say
''These guys are all benefiting from each other's advertising and the general market environment,'' said Gregory Smith, an analyst for Putnam Lovell deGuardiola & Thornton, before the earnings release. ''They can add a new account for about $200 when the market values it at $27,000 -- that's like printing money,'' said Smith, who advises investors to hold Ameritrade stock because its shares have already risen 865 percent this year.
A year ago, Ameritrade spent $25 million in a quarter on advertising.
Previous Market Reaction
Ameritrade shares fell 6.1 percent on Jan. 21, the first trading day after the company reported a first-quarter profit of $3.7 million, or 7 cents a share, exceeding analysts' average estimate of about 5 cents.
Market Performance
Ameritrade shares rose ninefold this year, adjusted for a 2- for-1 stock split Feb. 22, outpacing the 8 percent gain in the Standard & Poor's 500 Index. The stock fell 25 1/4, or almost 15 percent, to 148 today after rising for five days. |
