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ServiceNow (NOW) Exceeds Market Returns: Some Facts to Consider

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ServiceNow (NOW - Free Report) closed the latest trading day at $1,049.44, indicating a +0.77% change from the previous session's end. This move outpaced the S&P 500's daily gain of 0.56%. Elsewhere, the Dow saw an upswing of 0.42%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq appreciated by 0.83%.

The the stock of maker of software that automates companies' technology operations has risen by 11.62% in the past month, leading the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 0.44% and the S&P 500's gain of 3.11%.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of ServiceNow in its upcoming earnings disclosure. The company is predicted to post an EPS of $3.60, indicating a 15.76% growth compared to the equivalent quarter last year. Meanwhile, our latest consensus estimate is calling for revenue of $2.96 billion, up 21.28% from the prior-year quarter.

Looking at the full year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates suggest analysts are expecting earnings of $13.87 per share and revenue of $10.97 billion. These totals would mark changes of +28.66% and +22.33%, respectively, from last year.

Any recent changes to analyst estimates for ServiceNow should also be noted by investors. Such recent modifications usually signify the changing landscape of near-term business trends. With this in mind, we can consider positive estimate revisions a sign of optimism about the company's business outlook.

Based on our research, we believe these estimate revisions are directly related to near-team stock moves. We developed the Zacks Rank to capitalize on this phenomenon. Our system takes these estimate changes into account and delivers a clear, actionable rating model.

Ranging from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell), the Zacks Rank system has a proven, outside-audited track record of outperformance, with #1 stocks returning an average of +25% annually since 1988. The Zacks Consensus EPS estimate remained stagnant within the past month. At present, ServiceNow boasts a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Investors should also note ServiceNow's current valuation metrics, including its Forward P/E ratio of 75.09. This signifies a premium in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 30.22 for its industry.

We can also see that NOW currently has a PEG ratio of 3.05. This popular metric is similar to the widely-known P/E ratio, with the difference being that the PEG ratio also takes into account the company's expected earnings growth rate. The average PEG ratio for the Computers - IT Services industry stood at 2.82 at the close of the market yesterday.

The Computers - IT Services industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. This industry currently has a Zacks Industry Rank of 39, which puts it in the top 16% of all 250+ industries.

The strength of our individual industry groups is measured by the Zacks Industry Rank, which is calculated based on the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within these groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Keep in mind to rely on Zacks.com to watch all these stock-impacting metrics, and more, in the succeeding trading sessions.


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