Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Crown Castle International Revenue, Earnings to Dip from Previous Quarter

Crown Castle International CCI releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, July 27, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Crown Castle International's second quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are looking ahead to a positive EPS of 9 cents per share and revenues of $498.1 million. Whether the reported numbers beat or miss analysts' estimates, they will also be compared against last year's numbers for the same period, which were a loss of 36 cents per share on revenues of $456.1 million. We'll have to wait for Wednesday to see if Crown Castle International has accomplished the estimated 9.2% 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:

Stock Performance:

As of July 21, 2011, Crown Castle International's current share price was $42.13. Since January 1st, shares of Crown Castle International have declined 3.9%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 0.7%. 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 Crown Castle International is a Moderate Buy. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

Competitors:

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

• American Tower AMT: Moderate Buy with a $0.23 recent quarter EPS
• NeuStar NSR: Hold with a $0.40 recent quarter EPS
• Sprint Nextel S: Hold with a -$0.15 recent quarter EPS
• Telephone & Data Systems TDS: Hold with a $0.40 recent quarter EPS

Crown Castle International is in the infrastructure industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 2.4%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Crown Castle Internationalration owns, operates and leases towers and other communication structures. It also provides network services to its customers, including initial antenna installation and augmentation, network design and site selection.

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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