General Electric Earnings Preview: Revenue, Earnings Expected to Fall from Previous Quarter

It's time to gear up for General Electric Company GE earnings! Keep your head in the game: The company releases its next round of earnings this Friday, July 22, 2011.

Want to get caught up before Friday's earnings release? We've got just what you need. Here is your everything-that-matters guide to GE's second quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of 32 cents per share and revenues of $34.72 billion. We'll have to wait for Friday to see if GE has accomplished the estimated 133% rise in EPS and 93% increase in revenues on a year-over-year basis.

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

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$0.28	$0.32	$0.27	$0.27
EPS Actual	$0.31	$0.36	$0.29	$0.30

Stock Performance:

As of July 18, 2011, General Electric Company's current share price was $18.29. Shares are up 1.5% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 8.5%. 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 General Electric Company is a Moderate Buy. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

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 General Electric Company's peers.

• Bio-Rad Laboratories BIO: Moderate Buy with a $1.30 recent quarter EPS
• Danaher DHR: Moderate Buy with a $0.61 recent quarter EPS
• Honeywell International HON: Moderate Buy with a $0.88 recent quarter EPS
• Hitachi, Ltd. HIT: Strong Buy

General Electric Company is in the diversified operations industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1.2%.

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: General Electric is an advanced technology, services and finance company that provides services ranging from aircraft engines to business and consumer financing.

Take Action:

Now that you're fully prepared, get ready to take quick action if the company reports any numbers significantly different from those listed above. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.

• To see up-to-date news on General Electric Company, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here