AmerisourceBergen Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

AmerisourceBergen ABC announces its next round of earnings this Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for AmerisourceBergen's fourth quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are looking ahead to a positive EPS of 56 cents/share and revenues of $20.18 billion. AmerisourceBergen's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 50 cents/share on revenues of $19.72 billion. We'll have to wait for Tuesday to see if the company reports higher EPS and a slight increase in revenue from the year-ago quarter, as analysts are expecting.

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

Quarter	Q3	Q2	Q1	Q4
EPS Estimate	$0.59	$0.69	$0.53	$0.48
EPS Actual	$0.61	$0.77	$0.57	$0.50

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of AmerisourceBergen were trading at $40.90. Since January 1st, shares have given investors a return of 20.9%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 24.6%. 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 is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly over the past three months.

Competitors:

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

• BioScrip BIOS: Moderate Buy with a $0.10 recent quarter EPS
• Cardinal Health CAH: Moderate Buy with a $0.59 recent quarter EPS
• Henry Schein HSIC: Hold with a $1.01 recent quarter EPS
• McKesson MCK: Moderate Buy with a $1.63 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: AmerisourceBergen is a pharmaceutical services company providing drug distribution and related healthcare services to pharmacy, physician, and manufacturer customers based in North America.

Take Action:

That's your advanced look at AmerisourceBergen's upcoming earnings numbers -- be ready to take quick action if the company's report contains any surprises. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.

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