=Noodles & Co (NDLS) reported earnings on Tue 23 Oct 2018 (a/h)

Noodles & Co reports EPS in-line, beats on revs; raises FY18 EPS, rev, and comp guidance; Q3 comps +5.5%

Reports Q3 (Sep) earnings of $0.04 per share, excluding non-recurring items, in-line with the S&P Capital IQ Consensus of $0.04; revenues rose 2.2% year/year to $116.7 mln vs the $114.8 mln S&P Capital IQ Consensus.  Comparable restaurant sales increased 5.5% system-wide, including a 5.2% increase for company-owned restaurants and a 7.6% increase for franchise restaurants. Co issues raised guidance for FY18, sees EPS of $0.01-0.04 from $0.00-0.03, excluding non-recurring items, vs. $0.03 S&P Capital IQ Consensus; sees FY18 revs of $457-460 mln from $440-450 mln vs. $455.83 mln S&P Capital IQ Consensus. Positive systemwide comparable restaurant sales of 3.5% to 4.0% (prior guidance +2.5-3.5%). Restaurant contribution margin of 14.8% to 15.5%.