Consolidated Edison Earnings Preview: Revenue, Earnings Expected to Rise

Consolidated Edison ED announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, August 4, 2011. Here's Benzinga's essential guide to Consolidated Edison's second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of 53 cents/share and revenues of $3.12 billion. Consolidated Edison's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 51 cents/share on revenues of $3.02 billion. Can Consolidated Edison manage the estimated 3.9% rise in EPS and 3.3% 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:

Stock Performance:

As of July 29, 2011, Consolidated Edison's current share price was $52.60. Since January 1st, shares of Consolidated Edison have given investors a return of 8.6%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 13%. 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 Consolidated Edison is a Moderate Sell.

Competitors:

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

• Avista AVA: Hold with a $0.73 recent quarter EPS
• CH Energy Group CHG: Moderate Sell with a $0.38 recent quarter EPS
• CMS Energy CMS: Moderate Buy with a $0.26 recent quarter EPS
• FirstEnergy FE: Hold with a $0.68 recent quarter EPS

Consolidated Edison is in the utility-electric power industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 22.1%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Consolidated Edison provides electric, gas, and steam utility services to customers through its subsidiaries.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Consolidated Edison's 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 Consolidated Edison, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here