Earnings Preview: Discovery Communications' EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise

Discovery Communications DISCA unveils its next round of earnings this Thursday, August 4, 2011. Here's Benzinga's advanced look at Discovery Communications' second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are looking ahead to a positive EPS of 61 cents/share and revenues of $1.05 billion. Wall Street will be looking to see how this quarter's numbers compare to the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of 49 cents/share on revenues of $963 million. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if Discovery Communications has accomplished the estimated 24.5% rise in EPS and 9% 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:

As of July 29, 2011, Discovery Communications' current share price was $39.80. Since January 1st, shares of Discovery Communications have declined 4.6%.

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Discovery Communications is a Hold.

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 Discovery Communications' peers.

• CBS CBS: Moderate Buy with a $0.29 recent quarter EPS
• Walt Disney Company DIS: Hold with a $0.49 recent quarter EPS
• Liberty Media Corp (Interactive LINTA: Moderate Buy with a $0.07 recent quarter EPS
• Madison Square Garden MSG: Hold with a $0.25 recent quarter EPS

Discovery Communications is in the broadcast-radio/TV industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.7%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Discovery Communications is a global media and entertainment company that offers programming across multiple distribution platforms in more than 170 other countries.

Take Action:

Now that you have reviewed all the numbers, be ready to move if the upcoming Discovery Communications earnings report has any surprises. Also, come back to Benzinga after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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