Lowe's Companies Earnings Preview: Analyts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

Lowe's Companies LOW unveils its next round of earnings this Monday, August 15, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Lowe's Companies' second quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of 67 cents/share and revenues of $14.78 billion. Investors will be keen to see how this quarter's numbers compare to the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of 58 cents/share on revenues of $14.36 billion.

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

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Lowe's Companies were trading at $19.17. Since January 1st, shares of Lowe's Companies have declined 22.4%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 5.4%. 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 Lowe's Companies is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has crept upwards 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 Lowe's Companies' peers.

• Builders FirstSource BLDR: Hold with a -$0.08 recent quarter EPS
• Home Depot HD: Moderate Buy with a $0.50 recent quarter EPS
• Lumber Liquidators LL: Hold with a $0.19 recent quarter EPS
• HudBay Minerals (HBM): Strong Buy with a $0.15 recent quarter EPS

Lowe's Companies is in the building products-retail/wholesale industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.8%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Lowe's Companies Inc. is a home improvement retailer offering products to homeowners, renters and commercial business customers.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Lowe's Companies' 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 Lowe's Companies, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here