Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings Earnings Preview: Analyts Expect Higher Earnings, Revenue from Prior Quarter

It's time to get ready for Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings LH earnings! Don't be caught off-guard: The company releases its next round of earnings this Thursday, July 21, 2011.

Need to cram before Thursday's earnings release? We've got just the thing. Here's an advanced look at Laboratory Corporation of America's second quarter earnings report.

Let's Do the Numbers:

Analysts are predicting a positive EPS reading of $1.62 per share and revenues of $1.39 billion. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if Laboratory Corporation of America 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:

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$1.44	$1.31	$1.40	$1.42
EPS Actual	$1.60	$1.46	$1.47	$1.46

Stock Performance:

Shares of Laboratory Corporation of America were trading at $95.73 as of July 15, 2011. Since January 1st, shares of Laboratory Corporation of America have given investors a return of 8.9%.

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Laboratory Corporation of America is a Hold. This rating has remained steady over the past ninety days.

Competitors:

Wondering how Laboratory Corporation of America compares to rivals in the same sector? Here are a few of the company's peers.

• Bio-Reference Laboratories (BRLI): Hold with a $0.43 recent quarter EPS
• Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (DGX): Hold with a $1.0 recent quarter EPS
• Enzo Biochem (ENZ): Strong Buy with a $-0.05 recent quarter EPS
• Psychemedics (PMD): Strong Buy with a $0.16 recent quarter EPS

Finally, a description of the main business areas of the company, in case you need a little refresher: Laboratory Corporation of America provides testing services used by the medical profession in patient diagnosis and in the monitoring and treatment of disease.

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings' 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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