Air Products and Chemicals Earnings Preview: Analyts Expect Higher Earnings, Revenue from Prior Quarter

Air Products and Chemicals APD earnings are right around the corner! Don't be caught off-guard: The company unveils its next round of earnings this Friday, July 22, 2011.

Want to get all the facts ahead of this Friday's announcement? We thought so. Here's an advanced look at Air Products and Chemicals' third quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Analysts are predicting a positive EPS reading of $1.46 per share and revenues of $2.53 billion. We'll have to wait for Friday to see if Air Products and Chemicals falls in line with analyst expectations and reports an estimated increase in both EPS and revenue from the year-ago quarter.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$1.39	$1.34	$1.32	$1.28
EPS Actual	$1.41	$1.35	$1.35	$1.28

Stock Performance:

Shares of Air Products and Chemicals were trading at $92.92 as of July 18, 2011. Shares are up 3.5% year to date.

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Air Products and Chemicals is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has crept upwards over the past three months.

Competitors:

Looking for a sympathy stock to trade or interested in the performance of other companies in the same sector? Take a look at some of Air Products and Chemicals' peers.

• Airgas (ARG): Moderate Buy with a $0.88 recent quarter EPS
• Praxair (PX): Moderate Buy with a $1.29 recent quarter EPS

The chemicals-diversified company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.2% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: Air Products and Chemicals is a global supplier of gases and chemicals for industrial use. It provides customers in the technology, energy and healthcare sectors with a variety of services and solutions, including atmospheric gases and semiconductor materials.

Take Action:

Now that you have reviewed all the numbers, be ready to move if the upcoming Air Products and Chemicals earnings report has any surprises. Also, come back to Benzinga after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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