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

It's time to get ready for EMC EMC earnings! Don't be caught off-guard: The company releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, July 20, 2011.

Need to brush up a bit ahead of Wednesday's announcement? We've got just the thing. Here's your essential guide to EMC's second quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of 27 cents per share and revenues of $4.73 billion. We'll have to wait for Wednesday to see if EMC has accomplished the estimated 125% rise in EPS and 118% increase in revenues on a year-over-year basis.

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

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$0.25	$0.35	$0.24	$0.22
EPS Actual	$0.24	$0.36	$0.25	$0.23

Stock Performance:

Shares of EMC were trading at $26.82 as of July 14, 2011. Shares are up 17.1% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 32.8%. 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 EMC is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly over the past three months.

Competitors:

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

• Brocade Communications Systems BRCD: Moderate Buy with a $0.09 recent quarter EPS
• Hewlett-Packard Company HPQ: Hold with a $1.24 recent quarter EPS
• International Business Machines IBM: Moderate Buy with a $2.31 recent quarter EPS

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: EMC and its subsidiaries deliver and support a range of information infrastructure technologies and solutions.

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at EMC's upcoming earnings numbers, keep an eye out for any surprises in the report and be ready to take action. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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