AmerisourceBergen Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Rising Revenue, Falling EPS Over Previous Quarter

AmerisourceBergen ABC announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, July 28, 2011. Here's Benzinga's essential guide to AmerisourceBergen's third quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of 59 cents per share and revenues of $20.17 billion. AmerisourceBergen's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a positive EPS of 52 cents per share on revenues of $19.6 billion. Can AmerisourceBergen manage the estimated 13.5% rise in EPS and 2.9% increase in revenues from the year-ago quarter as analysts are predicting? We'll have to wait until Thursday to find out.

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

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$0.69	$0.53	$0.48	$0.49
EPS Actual	$0.77	$0.57	$0.50	$0.52

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of AmerisourceBergen were trading at $40.52. Shares are up 19.4% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 27.5%. 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 AmerisourceBergen is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly 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 AmerisourceBergen's peers.

• Cardinal Health CAH: Moderate Buy with a $0.75 recent quarter EPS
• Henry Schein HSIC: Moderate Buy with a $0.82 recent quarter EPS
• McKesson MCK: Moderate Buy with a $1.66 recent quarter EPS
• MWI Veterinary Supply MWIV: Moderate Buy with a $0.83 recent quarter EPS

The retail-drug stores company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.5% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: AmerisourceBergenration is a pharmaceutical services company providing drug distribution and related healthcare services to pharmacy, physician, and manufacturer customers based in North America.

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.

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