Lockheed Martin Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

Lockheed Martin LMT announces its next round of earnings this Wednesday, October 26, 2011. Here's Benzinga's essential guide to Lockheed Martin's third quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of $1.81/share and revenues of $11.73 billion. Lockheed Martin's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of $1.55/share on revenues of $11.38 billion. Can Lockheed Martin manage the estimated 16.8% rise in EPS and 3.1% increase in revenues from the year-ago quarter as analysts are predicting? We'll have to wait until Wednesday 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	$1.94	$1.51	$2.20	$1.58
EPS Actual	$2.06	$1.55	$2.38	$1.55

Stock Performance:

As of October 20, 2011, Lockheed Martin's current share price was $75.70. Shares are up 11.5% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 11.2%. 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 Lockheed Martin is a Hold. This rating has strengthened slightly over the past ninety days.

Competitors:

Want to check out the performance of Lockheed Martin closest competitors? Take a look at some of the company's peers in the industrials sector.

• Alliant Techsystems ATK: Hold with a $2.02 recent quarter EPS
• Boeing Company BA: Moderate Buy with a $1.25 recent quarter EPS
• General Dynamics GD: Moderate Buy with a $1.79 recent quarter EPS

The aerospace/defense company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 0.9% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Lockheed Martin is a global security company that develops and manufactures advanced technology systems and products.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Lockheed Martin'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. In the meantime, here are some links to explore today.

• To see up-to-date news on Lockheed Martin, click here
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• To see other company earnings recaps, click here