Earnings Preview: Equity Residential EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise from Previous Quarter

Equity Residential EQR releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Here's Benzinga's advanced look at Equity Residential's second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of 60 cents per share and revenues of $524 million. Equity Residential's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a positive EPS of 58 cents per share on revenues of $510.9 million. We'll have to wait for Wednesday to see if Equity Residential reports a rise in EPS and 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:

Stock Performance:

Shares of Equity Residential were trading at $63.07 as of July 21, 2011. Since January 1st, shares of Equity Residential have given investors a return of 22.9%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 30.2%. 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 Equity Residential is a Hold. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

Competitors:

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

• Apartment Investment and Management AIV: Hold with a $0.39 recent quarter EPS
• AvalonBay Communities AVB: Hold with a $1.08 recent quarter EPS
• BRE Properties BRE: Hold with a $0.53 recent quarter EPS
• Colonial Properties CLP: Hold with a $0.27 recent quarter EPS

The REIT-equity trust/residential company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 2.7% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Equity Residential is a real estate investment trust company that acquires and manages apartment properties in top growth markets in the United States.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Equity Residential'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 Equity Residential, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here