Earnings Preview: Citigroup Inc (C)

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Last week saw mixed results for big banks with JPMorgan missing the consensus’ earnings estimates, while Wells Fargo beat expectations. This week’s shortened trading week owing to the Good Friday holiday will see Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) amongst other big banks highlighting the week.

In total, 19 banking firms included in the broad S&P 500 stock index are reporting this week with Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) starting things on Monday. Bank of America, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley are among that group of reporting banks.

All three banks are forecast to deliver weaker earnings per share and revenue compared with Q1 of 2013. “Capital markets, like trading, have been tough,” said Jeff Harte, an analyst at Sandler O’Neill & Partners. “What we saw from JPMorgan confirms that.”

The Street is not expecting much from Citigroup as the stock continues to falter with the bank mired amidst less than favorable headlines that continues to drive the stock down. On the bright side of that is the belief by many that Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) becomes a better long-term prospect the further its stock slides.

As Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) will be reporting its earnings for a three span lets look at that first. In the last three months, Citi has traded off 15.5% and is down 11.3% for calendar 2014. Citi is struggling to convince investors that is has solved its recent capital allocation struggles.

Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) has traded off 15.5% in the last three months and has been down 11.3% since the start of 2014. It’s been a rough ride for Citi investors this year and the bank’s recent capital allocation issues haven’t helped turn things around just yet.

Analysts, and Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C) for that matter, have lowered their expectations for the coming quarter. The Street’s consensus is calling for quarterly earnings of $1.14 per share on revenues of $19.37 billion. In the corresponding quarter last year, earnings per share were $1.23. Revenue is expected to be off 5.5% year-over-year at $19.37 billion compared to $20.49 in the same time period.

For the year , the consensus’ estimate is expecting Citi to report earnings of $4.79 per share compared to $4.31 in 2013. Revenue on the year is expected to reach $76.63 billion, down nominally from last year’s revenues of 77.13.

Suffice is to say that the rejection of Citigroup Inc (NYSE:C)’s capital plan under the Dodd-Frank Act supervisory stress test 2014 (DFAST 2014) by the Federal Reserve has brewed trouble and its Mexican subsidiary isn’t helping matters for the bank.

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