Earnings Preview: W.W. Grainger

W.W. Grainger GWW unveils its next round of earnings this Friday, July 30. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for W.W. Grainger's Q2 earnings.

What Are Earnings, Net Income, And Earnings Per Share?

Earnings and especially earnings per share (EPS) are useful measures of a company's profitability. Total earnings, which is also referred to as net income, equals total revenue minus total expenses. EPS equals to net income divided by the number of shares outstanding.

Earnings And Revenue

Analysts expect W.W. Grainger earnings of $4.58 per share. Revenue will likely be around $3.22 billion, according to the consensus estimate. W.W. Grainger reported a per-share profit of $3.75 when it published results during the same quarter last year. Sales in that period totaled $2.84 billion.

What Are Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises, And Why Do They Matter?

Analysts who cover this company will publish forward-looking estimates of its revenue and EPS each quarter. Averaging together every EPS and revenue prediction that each analyst makes about a company in a quarter yields the "consensus estimates." A company posting earnings or revenue above or below the consensus estimate is known as an "earnings surprise" and may move the stock by a considerable margin.

The analyst consensus estimate would represent a 22.13% increase in the company's earnings. Sales would be up 13.5% on a year-over-year basis. W.W. Grainger's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past like this:

Want Real-Time Earnings Calendar Updates?

Benzinga consistently updates its earnings calendars to stay up-to-date with the latest company earnings reports. Check out the full earnings calendar list updated in real-time by following this link.

Stock Performance

Shares of W.W. Grainger were trading at $454.08 as of July 28. Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 33.36%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably satisfied going into this earnings release.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. W.W. Grainger is scheduled to hold the call at 11:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.