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New York-based Citigroup Inc. (C) is a diversified financial service holding company that provides various financial products and services to consumers, corporations, governments, and institutions. Valued at a market cap of $135.1 billion, the company provides a range of financial products and services including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, securities brokerage, trade and securities services and wealth management. It is scheduled to announce its fiscal Q1 earnings for 2025 before the market opens on Tuesday, Apr. 15.
Ahead of this event, analysts project this financial services company to report a profit of $1.87 per share, up 18.4% from $1.58 per share in the year-ago quarter. The company has exceeded Wall Street's earnings estimates in each of the last four quarters. Its earnings of $1.34 per share in the previous quarter outpaced the consensus estimate by 7.2%.
For the full year, analysts expect Citigroup to report EPS of $7.47, up almost 25.6% from $5.95 in fiscal 2024. Its EPS is expected to further grow 25% year over year to $9.34 in fiscal 2026.
Citigroup has outperformed the S&P 500 Index’s ($SPX) 8.9% gains over the past 52 weeks, with its shares up 14.2% during this period. However, it has lagged behind the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund’s (XLF) 20.4% returns over the same time frame.
On Mar. 17, Citigroup’s shares rose 1.7% after Wells Fargo & Company (WFC) reaffirmed its “Overweight” rating with a $110 price target. Wells Fargo expressed confidence in Citi’s ability to handle potential challenges from tariffs, citing its successful navigation of the first round of duties during Donald Trump’s first term. As a result, it maintained its positive outlook on the stock.
Moreover, on Jan. 15, shares of C surged 6.5% following its Q4 earnings release. The company delivered better-than-expected EPS of $1.34 and revenue of $19.6 billion. Moreover, the top line advanced 12.3% year-over-year, while profitability improved significantly, rebounding from a loss of $1.16 per share recorded in the same quarter last year. A 17.6% year-over-year decline in operating expenses and a 26.9% fall in cost of credit acted as tailwinds and highlighted Citigroup's strong focus on cost control and operational efficiency.
Wall Street analysts are moderately optimistic about C’s stock, with a "Moderate Buy" rating overall. Among 20 analysts covering the stock, 12 recommend "Strong Buy," two suggest “Moderate Buy,” and six advise “Hold.”. C’s average analyst price target of $90.42, indicates a potential upside of 26% from the current levels.
On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
