DIRECTV Group (NASDAQ: DTV) announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, August 4, 2011. Here's Benzinga's essential guide to DIRECTV Group's second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of 85 cents/share and revenues of $6.54 billion. DIRECTV Group's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 60 cents/share on revenues of $5.85 billion. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if DIRECTV Group has accomplished the estimated 41.7% rise in EPS and 11.8% 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:

Shares of DIRECTV Group were trading at $50.68 as of July 29, 2011. Shares are up 26.9% year to date.

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for DIRECTV Group is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly over the past three months.

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 DIRECTV Group's peers.

• Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA): Moderate Buy with a $0.36 recent quarter EPS
• Cablevision Systems (CVC): Hold with a $0.38 recent quarter EPS
• DISH Network (DISH): Hold with a $0.72 recent quarter EPS

DIRECTV Group is in the satellite communications industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1.3%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: DIRECTV acquires and distributes digital entertainment programming in the U.S. and Latin America. .

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at DIRECTV Group's 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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