In the latest trading session, Axcelis Technologies (ACLS) closed at $75.66, marking a -0.25% move from the previous day. This move was narrower than the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.54%. On the other hand, the Dow registered a loss of 0.53%, and the technology-centric Nasdaq decreased by 0.66%.

Heading into today, shares of the semiconductor services company had lost 4.85% over the past month, lagging the Computer and Technology sector's gain of 3.76% and the S&P 500's gain of 1.5% in that time.

Analysts and investors alike will be keeping a close eye on the performance of Axcelis Technologies in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect Axcelis Technologies to post earnings of $1.25 per share. This would mark a year-over-year decline of 41.86%. In the meantime, our current consensus estimate forecasts the revenue to be $244.9 million, indicating a 21.07% decline compared to the corresponding quarter of the prior year.

For the entire fiscal year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates are projecting earnings of $5.86 per share and a revenue of $1.01 billion, representing changes of -21.13% and -10.63%, respectively, from the prior year.

Additionally, investors should keep an eye on any recent revisions to analyst forecasts for Axcelis Technologies. These revisions help to show the ever-changing nature of near-term business trends. Hence, positive alterations in estimates signify analyst optimism regarding the company's business and profitability.

Empirical research indicates that these revisions in estimates have a direct correlation with impending stock price performance. Investors can capitalize on this by using the Zacks Rank. This model considers these estimate changes and provides a simple, actionable rating system.

The Zacks Rank system, which varies between #1 (Strong Buy) and #5 (Strong Sell), carries an impressive track record of exceeding expectations, confirmed by external audits, with stocks at #1 delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the last 30 days, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 0.76% lower. At present, Axcelis Technologies boasts a Zacks Rank of #5 (Strong Sell).

In the context of valuation, Axcelis Technologies is at present trading with a Forward P/E ratio of 12.95. This valuation marks a discount compared to its industry's average Forward P/E of 25.53.

It's also important to note that ACLS currently trades at a PEG ratio of 2.36. The PEG ratio is similar to the widely-used P/E ratio, but this metric also takes the company's expected earnings growth rate into account. As the market closed yesterday, the Electronics - Manufacturing Machinery industry was having an average PEG ratio of 1.8.

The Electronics - Manufacturing Machinery industry is part of the Computer and Technology sector. Currently, this industry holds a Zacks Industry Rank of 240, positioning it in the bottom 5% of all 250+ industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the vigor of our specific industry groups by computing the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks incorporated in the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.

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