Earnings Preview: CVS Caremark's Revenue Expected to Rise

CVS Caremark CVS unveils its next round of earnings this Thursday, August 4, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for CVS Caremark's second quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of 64 cents/share and revenues of $26.76 billion. Wall Street will be looking to see how this quarter's numbers compare to the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of 65 cents/share on revenues of $24.01 billion. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if CVS Caremark reports a decline in EPS and a boost in revenue from the year-ago quarter, as analysts are predicting.

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

Stock Performance:

As of July 29, 2011, CVS Caremark's current share price was $36.35. Since January 1st, shares of CVS Caremark have given investors a return of 5.6%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 19%. 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 CVS Caremark is a Moderate Buy. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

Competitors:

Want to check out the performance of CVS Caremark closest competitors? Take a look at some of the company's peers in the consumer staples sector.

• GNC Holdings GNC: Moderate Buy with a $0.39 recent quarter EPS
• Medco Health Solutions MHS: Hold with a $0.96 recent quarter EPS
• BioScrip (BIOS): Moderate Buy with a $0.07 recent quarter EPS

The retail-drug stores company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.4% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: CVS Caremark provides prescriptions and related health care services and products.

Take Action:

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