BlackRock Earnings Preview: Revenue, Earnings Expected to Fall from Previous Quarter

Now's the time to start prepping for BlackRock BLK! Don't be caught off-guard: The company releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, July 20, 2011.

Need to cram before Wednesday's earnings release? We've got just the thing. Here's an advanced look at BlackRock's second quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Wall Street expects a positive EPS reading of $2.93 per share and revenues of $2.34 billion. Can BlackRock manage the estimated 115% rise in EPS and 115% increase in revenues 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	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$2.75	$2.90	$2.45	$2.30
EPS Actual	$2.96	$3.42	$2.75	$2.37

Stock Performance:

As of July 14, 2011, BlackRock's current share price was $182.27. Shares are down 3% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 6.9%. 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 BlackRock is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has stayed consistent over the past three months.

Competitors:

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

• Bank of America BAC: Hold with a $0.17 recent quarter EPS
• American International Group (AIG): Hold with a $1.30 recent quarter EPS
• Affiliated Managers Group (AMG): Moderate Buy with a $1.60 recent quarter EPS
• Barclays (BCS): Hold with a $1.01 recent quarter EPS

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: BlackRock provides investment management services to institutional clients and to individual investors through various investment vehicles.

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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