Cambridge's Earnings: A Preview

Cambridge CATC announces its next round of earnings this Tuesday, July 20. Here is Benzinga's look at Cambridge's Q2 earnings report.

Net Income, Earnings, And Earnings Per Share

Earnings and EPS are useful metrics of profitability. Total earnings also known as net income is equal to total revenue minus total expenses. Dividing net income by the total number of shares outstanding yields EPS.

Earnings And Revenue

Cambridge EPS will likely be near $1.8 while revenue will be around $41.85 million, according to analysts. In the same quarter last year, Cambridge posted EPS of $1.32 on sales of $37.76 million.

What Are Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises, And Why Do They Matter?

Wall Street analysts who study this company will publish analyst estimates of revenue and EPS. The averages of all analyst EPS and revenue estimates are called the "consensus estimates"; these consensus estimates can have a significant effect on a company's performance during an earnings release. When a company posts earnings or revenue above or below a consensus estimate, it has posted an "earnings surprise", which can really move a stock depending on the difference between actual and estimated values.

If the company were to match the consensus estimate, earnings would be up 36.36%. Sales would be up 10.83% on a year-over-year basis. Cambridge's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past like this:

Stock Performance

Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 50.67%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders can relax going into this earnings release. Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Cambridge is scheduled to hold the call at 10:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.