Cliffs Natural Resources Earnings Preview: Analyts Expect Higher Earnings, Revenue from Prior Quarter

Cliffs Natural Resources CLF announces its next round of earnings this Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Here's Benzinga's advanced look at Cliffs Natural Resources' second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of $3.68 per share and revenues of $1.79 billion. Investors will be keen to see how this quarter's numbers stack up against the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of $1.92 per share on revenues of $1.18 billion. We'll know on Wednesday whether Cliffs Natural Resources has managed the estimated 91.7% increase in EPS and 51.7% rise 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	$2.25	$2.15	$2.59	$2.08
EPS Actual	$3.11	$2.82	$2.18	$1.92

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Cliffs Natural Resources were trading at $100.39. Since January 1st, shares of Cliffs Natural Resources have given investors a return of 29.1%.

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Cliffs Natural Resources is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly over the past three months.

Competitors:

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

• AK Steel AKS: Hold with a $0.08 recent quarter EPS

Cliffs Natural Resources is in the mining-iron industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.3%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Cliffs Natural Resources is an international mining company that operates primarily in North America and Australia.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Cliffs Natural Resources' upcoming earnings numbers, including some competitors to watch around the time of the announcement. Check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap of the announcement. In the meantime, here are some links to explore today.

• To see up-to-date news on Cliffs Natural Resources, click here
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• To see other company earnings recaps, click here