Key Highlights

  • Seagate guided fiscal second-quarter revenue to $4.8 billion, plus or minus $100 million, against $4.233 billion just reported.
  • Johnson Controls guided fiscal first-quarter 2027 adjusted EPS to $1.15 to $1.20 and full-year adjusted EPS to $6.15 to $6.30.
  • Corning guided fourth-quarter core EPS to $0.96 to $1.00 on core sales of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion.
  • Zurn Elkay's fourth-quarter net sales midpoint of $433.5 million is about 12.4% below its third quarter, a calculated figure.
  • CoStar guided fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA to $275 million to $295 million, against $229 million in the third quarter.

What Did Management Say About Next Quarter in the October 27 Earnings Releases?

Six companies that reported on Tuesday, October 27, put numbers on what comes next. Johnson Controls (NYSE:JCI) guided fiscal first-quarter 2027 adjusted EPS to $1.15 to $1.20, Seagate Technology (NASDAQ:STX) guided fiscal second-quarter revenue to $4.8 billion, plus or minus $100 million, and Corning (NYSE:GLW) guided fourth-quarter core EPS to $0.96 to $1.00. NXP Semiconductors (NASDAQ:NXPI) guided fourth-quarter revenue to $3.75 billion to $3.95 billion, Zurn Elkay Water Solutions (NYSE:ZWS) guided fourth-quarter net sales to $430 million to $437 million, and CoStar Group (NASDAQ:CSGP) guided fourth-quarter adjusted EBITDA to $275 million to $295 million.

The ranges cover different measures, from organic growth rates to dollar revenue and adjusted EPS, so the comparison section converts the midpoints against each company's latest reported quarter. Every guided figure comes from the company's own release.

Johnson Controls: What Is the Fiscal 2027 Guide After a 44% Jump in Orders?

Johnson Controls reported fiscal fourth-quarter sales of $7.113 billion, up 10%, with organic orders up 44% and backlog at $23.0 billion. Adjusted EPS was $1.66, against $1.26 a year earlier. Americas orders rose 58%, and the segment's adjusted EBITA margin was 22.0%.

For the first quarter of fiscal 2027, management guided organic sales growth of 12% to 14%, operating leverage of 30% to 35% and adjusted EPS of $1.15 to $1.20. The full-year range of $6.15 to $6.30 sits roughly 19% to 22% above fiscal 2026's $5.16, a calculated figure.

Seagate: Can Revenue Reach $4.8 Billion After a 61% Jump?

Seagate reported fiscal first-quarter revenue of $4.233 billion, up 61%, with non-GAAP EPS of $7.68 against $2.61 and a non-GAAP gross margin of 57.8%. It returned $568 million to shareholders, including $400 million of buybacks, and raised its quarterly dividend about 3% to $0.76.

The fiscal second-quarter guide is revenue of $4.8 billion, plus or minus $100 million, and non-GAAP EPS of $9.20, plus or minus $0.20. No gross margin or operating expense range was given.

Corning: What Does the Fourth-Quarter Guide Assume After Optical Sales Rose 44%?

Corning reported third-quarter core EPS of $0.91, up 36%, on core sales of $5.081 billion, up 19%. Optical Communications sales rose 44% to $2.379 billion, and management said products for generative AI data centers more than doubled. Core operating margin rose 310 basis points to 22.7%.

Fourth-quarter guidance is core sales of $5.2 billion to $5.3 billion and core EPS of $0.96 to $1.00, about 19% and 36% growth respectively. No numeric full-year range was set, and the company is working toward doubling its annualized sales run rate from $20 billion to $40 billion by the end of 2030.

NXP Semiconductors: What Does the Fourth-Quarter Range Imply After a $5 Billion Buyback?

NXP reported third-quarter revenue of $3,786 million, up 19%, and non-GAAP EPS of $4.20 against $3.11. The board authorized a new $5 billion share repurchase program on top of $1.3 billion remaining under the prior one.

Fourth-quarter guidance is revenue of $3.75 billion to $3.95 billion, non-GAAP operating margin of 36.6% to 38.3% and non-GAAP EPS of $4.14 to $4.58. The range implies sequential revenue of minus 1% to plus 4%, and the release gave no full-year outlook.

Zurn Elkay: Why Is the Fourth-Quarter Sales Guide Below the Third Quarter?

Zurn Elkay reported third-quarter net sales of $495.1 million, up 8.7%, and adjusted EPS of $0.52 against $0.43. Operating margin rose 490 basis points, which management credited to product mix, productivity and supply chain repositioning.

Fourth-quarter guidance is net sales of $430 million to $437 million and adjusted EBITDA of $120 million to $123 million, with 2026 free cash flow above $350 million excluding tariff refunds. Management described its assumptions as conservative, and its call was set for Wednesday, October 28.

CoStar Group: How Much Higher Is the Raised Fourth-Quarter Outlook?

CoStar reported third-quarter revenue of $952 million, up 14%, with adjusted EBITDA doubling to $229 million, above its own guide of $190 million to $210 million. Adjusted EPS was $0.38 against $0.23. Management also pointed to about $150 million of cost savings this year versus its original guidance.

Fourth-quarter guidance is revenue of $976 million to $996 million, adjusted EBITDA of $275 million to $295 million and adjusted EPS of $0.46 to $0.50. Full-year adjusted EBITDA is guided to $820 million to $840 million, up $30 million at the midpoint from July, and the 2028 target of $1.25 billion is unchanged.

Next-Quarter Guidance Compared: Which Midpoints Sit Furthest From the Latest Quarter?

Against each company's latest reported quarter, revenue midpoints work out as follows (calculated). Seagate's $4.8 billion is about 13.4% above $4.233 billion, CoStar's $986 million about 3.6% above $952 million, Corning's $5.25 billion about 3.3% above $5.081 billion and NXP's $3.85 billion about 1.7% above $3,786 million. Zurn Elkay's $433.5 million sits about 12.4% below $495.1 million.

On adjusted EPS, midpoints against the latest quarter are Seagate $9.20 versus $7.68, up about 19.8%, CoStar $0.48 versus $0.38, up about 26.3%, Corning $0.98 versus $0.91, up about 7.7%, and NXP $4.36 versus $4.20, up about 3.8% (all calculated). Johnson Controls guides growth rates rather than dollar revenue, so it is left out of both calculations.

What to Watch Next: Which Dated Events Follow the Next-Quarter Guides?

Zurn Elkay's call was scheduled for Wednesday, October 28, at 8:30 a.m. Eastern. Seagate's dividend of $0.76 is payable on January 7, 2027, and its fiscal second-quarter report is expected in late January. CoStar expects to close the roughly $730 million Vexcel purchase in the first quarter of 2027, while Johnson Controls and Corning report in early 2027. NXP gave no dated checkpoint, so the next report will show whether revenue lands near the $3.85 billion midpoint.