Earnings Preview: CA Earnings Expected to Increase Over Last Quarter

Now's the time to start prepping for CA CA! Don't be caught off-guard: The company releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, July 20, 2011.

Need to brush up a bit ahead of Wednesday's announcement? We've got just the thing. Here's your essential guide to CA's first quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of 47 cents per share and revenues of $1.15 billion. We'll have to wait for Wednesday to see if CA 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	Q4	Q3	Q2	Q1
EPS Estimate	$0.46	$0.46	$0.44	$0.39
EPS Actual	$0.48	$0.47	$0.48	$0.46

Stock Performance:

As of July 14, 2011, CA's current share price was $22.11. Since January 1st, shares of CA have declined 9.2%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 6.3%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably satisfied going into this earnings release.

• Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for CA is a Hold.

Competitors:

Wondering how CA compares to rivals in the same sector? Here are a few of the company's peers.

• BMC Software BMC: Moderate Buy with a $0.55 recent quarter EPS
• Hewlett-Packard Company HPQ: Hold with a $1.24 recent quarter EPS
• International Business Machines IBM: Moderate Buy with a $2.31 recent quarter EPS

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: CA is an information technology software and service company that helps organizations manage and secure their IT infrastructures and services.

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at CA's upcoming earnings numbers, keep an eye out for any surprises in the report and be ready to take action. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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