Williams Companies Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS

Williams Companies WMB announces its next round of earnings this Wednesday, August 3, 2011. Here is Benzinga's everything-that-matters guide for this Wednesday's second quarter earnings announcement.

Earnings and Revenue:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of 38 cents per share and revenues of $2.45 billion. 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 profit of 27 cents per share on revenues of $2.29 billion. We'll have to wait for Wednesday to see if Williams Companies falls in line with analyst expectations and reports an estimated increase in both EPS and revenue from the year-ago quarter.

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

Stock Performance:

Shares of Williams Companies were trading at $31.79 as of July 28, 2011. Since January 1st, shares of Williams Companies have given investors a return of 30%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 60.8%. 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 Williams Companies is a Moderate Buy. This rating has strengthened slightly over the past ninety days.

Competitors:

Looking for a sympathy stock to trade or interested in the performance of other companies in the same sector? Take a look at some of Williams Companies' peers.

• Chevron CVX: Moderate Buy with a $3.09 recent quarter EPS
• EQT (EQT): Moderate Buy with a $0.67 recent quarter EPS
• Kinder Morgan Energy Partners L.P (KMP): Hold with a $0.30 recent quarter EPS
• Cheniere Energy (LNG): Moderate Buy with a -$0.60 recent quarter EPS

The oil production/pipelines company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 21.7% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Williams Companies is engaged in finding, producing, gathering, processing and transporting natural gas.

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at Williams Companies' 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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