Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings LH announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, October 20, 2011. Here is Benzinga's everything-that-matters guide for this Thursday's third quarter earnings announcement.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of $1.60/share and revenues of $1.41 billion. Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings' latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of $1.47/share on revenues of $1.28 billion. Can Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings manage the estimated 8.8% rise in EPS and 10.2% increase in revenues from the year-ago quarter as analysts are predicting? We'll have to wait until Thursday to find out.

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

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$1.62	$1.44	$1.31	$1.40
EPS Actual	$1.64	$1.60	$1.46	$1.47

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings were trading at $80.46. Shares are down 8.5% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 1.1%. 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 Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings is a Hold. This rating has strengthened slightly over the past ninety days.

Competitors:

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

• Bio-Reference Laboratories BRLI: Hold with a $0.36 recent quarter EPS
• Quest Diagnostics DGX: Hold with a $1.12 recent quarter EPS
• Enzo Biochem ENZ: Strong Buy with a -$0.11 recent quarter EPS
• MEDTOX Scientific MTOX: Moderate Buy with a $0.15 recent quarter EPS

Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings is in the medical/dental supplies industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.8%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: 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 have reviewed all the numbers, be ready to move if the upcoming Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings 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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