What insights does EQT's earnings history reveal?

EQT's earnings history reveals a company that has faced significant challenges, particularly in the context of declining natural gas prices and the transition to a lower-carbon energy future. Here are key insights from EQT's financial performance over the past few years:

1. **Financial Performance Decline**: EQT's net income and revenue have experienced a significant decline over the past few years. The company's net income fell by 14.8% to $427.25 million in 2024Q4, compared to the previous quarter, while total revenue decreased by 20.47% to $1.62 billion. This trend is indicative of the broader challenges faced by the energy sector due to low oil and gas prices.

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Net Income YoY|Total Revenue YoY|Diluted EPS YoY|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2024 Q1|-91.54689874699913|-46.92858627221897|-92.58064516129032|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2024 Q2|113.81718661203004|-6.50198134774837|111.11111111111111|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2024 Q3|-468.428093645485|8.23706561493025|-370|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2024 Q4|-14.797575815589683|-20.473431460318874|-38.93805309734513|169|

2. **Earnings Per Share (EPS) Variance**: The diluted EPS decreased by 38.94% to $0.69 in 2024Q4, compared to the previous quarter. This substantial drop reflects the impact of lower oil and gas prices on the company's profitability.

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Net Income YoY|Net Income|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q1|-187.6491286951141|-1.67139E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q2|-309.5113326855996|-2.63075E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q3|-66.36936747288298|-6.0064E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q4|106.12146578708565|7.2045E7|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q1|77.29973255793082|-3.7941E7|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q2|-254.77411384586145|-9.33322E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q3|-229.01754794885454|-1.976211E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q4|2406.7291276285655|1.805973E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q1|-3891.942753222108|-1.514583E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q2|195.81087770351496|8.94224E8|169|

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Total Revenue YoY|Total Revenue|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q1|-3.159276854859238|1.107057E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q2|-59.77308181937521|5.27074E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q3|-81.91137649541392|1.72127E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q4|23.83648563544815|1.252585E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q1|-14.193849097200959|9.49923E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q2|-149.3509450285918|-2.60116E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q3|-951.0216293783079|-1.464838E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q4|206.5415919877693|3.839694E9|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q1|-160.96388865202758|-5.7911E8|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q2|1071.6849405649787|2.527508E9|169|

|code|Ticker|Name|Date|Diluted EPS YoY|Diluted EPS|market_code|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q1|-186.66666666666666|-0.65|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q2|-310.2040816326531|-1.03|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2020 Q3|-66.66666666666669|-2.35|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q1|80|-0.13|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q2|-224.27184466019412|-3.34|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2021 Q3|-135.7446808510638|-5.54|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q1|-3015.3846153846152|-4.05|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q2|165.56886227544908|2.19|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2022 Q3|130.50541516245488|1.69|169|
|EQT|EQT.N|Eqt|2023 Q1|176.54320987654322|3.1|169|

3. **Recent Performance**: Despite the challenging market conditions, EQT's recent earnings report exceeded market expectations. The company reported an EPS of $0.69 for the quarter, which was $0.19 higher than the consensus estimate of $0.50. This positive variance suggests that EQT's operational efficiency and cost management may be improving.
4. **Market Analysts' Perspectives**: Investment analysts at Zacks Research have issued optimistic estimates for EQT's earnings in the coming quarters and fiscal years, indicating a potential recovery or stabilization in the company's financial performance. This suggests that while current earnings history shows a decline, there may be a turnaround or stabilization in the near future.
5. **Dividend and Strategic Moves**: EQT has announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on March 3rd, representing an annualized dividend yield of 1.20%. This could be a sign of the company's commitment to returning value to shareholders, despite the earnings decline.

In conclusion, EQT's earnings history reflects a company that has been affected by the downturn in the energy sector, particularly in the natural gas market. While recent earnings performance has exceeded expectations, the overall trend shows a decline in revenue and net income over the past few years. However, there are signs of potential optimism, including positive analyst estimates and the company's strategic moves to improve financial health.