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BLACKLINE INC (BL) Soars to 52-Week High, Time to Cash Out?

Zacks Equity Research
·4 min read

Have you been paying attention to shares of BLACKLINE INC (BL)? Shares have been on the move with the stock up 18.9% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $74.52 in the previous session. BLACKLINE INC has gained 40% since the start of the year compared to the 3.4% move for the Zacks Computer and Technology sector and the 28.2% return for the Zacks Internet - Software industry.

What's Driving the Outperformance?

The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on April 30, 2020, BLACKLINE INC reported EPS of $0.1 versus consensus estimate of $0.05 while it beat the consensus revenue estimate by 4.18%.

For the current fiscal year, BLACKLINE INC is expected to post earnings of $0.43 per share on $338 million in revenues. This represents a 16.22% change in EPS on a 16.96% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $0.53 per share on $402.95 million in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 23.53% and 19.22%, respectively.

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Valuation Metrics

BLACKLINE INC may be at a 52-week high right now, but what might the future hold for the stock? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company is due for a pullback from this level.

On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.

BLACKLINE INC has a Value Score of D. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are A and C, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.

In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 167.3X current fiscal year EPS estimates. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 259.8X versus its peer group's average of 24.4X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 6.69. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.

Zacks Rank

We also need to look at the Zacks Rank for the stock, as this supersedes any trend on the style score front. Fortunately, BLACKLINE INC currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to rising earnings estimates.

Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if BLACKLINE INC fits the bill. Thus, it seems as though BLACKLINE INC shares could still be poised for more gains ahead.

How Does BLACKLINE INC Stack Up to the Competition?

Shares of BLACKLINE INC have been rising, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? Some of its industry peers are also looking good, including PagerDuty (PD), Chegg (CHGG), and Atlassian Corporation (TEAM), all of which currently have a Zacks Rank of at least #2 and a VGM Score of at least B, making them well-rounded choices.

The Zacks Industry Rank is in the top 12% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for BLACKLINE INC, even beyond its own solid fundamental situation.


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BLACKLINE INC (BL) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Chegg, Inc. (CHGG) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Atlassian Corporation PLC (TEAM) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
PagerDuty Inc. (PD) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
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Zacks Investment Research