BUZZ-PREVIEW: Workday's Q2 EPS, rev seen rising y/y
WDAY•Workday seen posting higher Q2 revenue and EPS
** Shares in Workday Inc WDAY.O up 1.5% on Thursday ahead of quarterly report due after market close
** The HR and finance software provider is expected to report a 12% rise in qtrly rev to $2.64 bln, with adj EPS seen at $2.61 vs $2.21 a yr ago, per LSEG
** In last eight quarters WDAY met or beat EPS and revenue estimates every time
** Investors will watch for any comments about M&A after recent Reuters report of buyout talks with private equity firm Silver Lake
** In the previous qtr, WDAY beat estimates and reiterated its annual subscription revenue forecast, citing steady demand for its AI-powered software
** Stock has slipped ~10% YTD vs. a ~14% gain in the Nasdaq .IXIC and recently traded at 16x forward earnings, versus industry median of 12.1x
** WDAY last traded at $193.62 vs median PT of $182 as per LSEG, which shows 43 analyst ratings: 8 'strong buy,' 14 'buy,' 19 'hold,' and 2 'sell'
