Tech stocks seem to be the ones to watch. Among companies reporting earnings next week are Applied Materials Inc. (NASDAQ: AMAT) and Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A), and here are quickie earnings previews for them.
Applied Materials' five-year earnings per share growth of 45.7 percent is better than the semiconductors industry average and the S&P 500. Applied Materials beat earnings expectations in the first three quarters of 2007. When it reported third quarter results back in August, earnings were 35 cents per share, three cents better than the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial, as well as the actual EPS in the same period of the previous year. For the fourth quarter, analysts expect only 29 cents per share, or $1.25 for the full year.
The analysts' consensus recommendation has been to buy Applied Materials for the past six months, but a closer look shows that most analysts are split between buy and hold. The share price has been slipping since reaching a 52-week high of $23.00 in August, almost falling during the week's Nasdaq volatility back to its 52-week low of $17.33 from a year ago.
For news about tech stocks that could influence Applied Materials' results, check out BloggingStocks' Applied Materials coverage.
Agilent's five-year earnings per share growth of 30.5 percent is better than the industrials sector average and the S&P 500. But Agilent hasn't beat Wall Street expectations since the third quarter of 2006; however, the EPS only missed by a penny in the past two quarters. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial expect earnings of 52 cents per share for the fourth quarter 2007 (which is the same as in the fourth quarter last year), or $1.81 for the full year.
The consensus recommendation from the analysts is to buy Agilent, and has been for at least six months. Agilent's share price has fought back from its plunge after the third quarter report in August, but has a ways to go to reclaim its 52-week high of $40.42 in July.
For more on acquisitions, launches, and other news that may influence Agilent's results, see BloggingStocks' Agilent coverage.
Applied Materials is scheduled to report earnings on Wednesday, Agilent on Thursday.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-15-2007 @ 3:41PM
Ken Green said...
Why has not Agilent beaten Wall Street expectations since the third quarter of 2006?
Has the Life Science business in Agilent showed any promise? Do the leaders in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industries continue to favor Shimadzu,ABI,Thermo and Waters in USA ? All the supplies business in ABI,Waters and Thermo has shown high growth with lower headcount and increasing revenues.
1-22-2008 @ 11:39AM
Ken Green said...
Why has not Agilent beaten the Wall Street expectations since the third quarter of 2006 ?
What are the plans for the Life Sciences sector within Agilent? Do the leaders in the pharmaceutical and biotech companies continue to favor ABI, Waters, Thermo and Shimadzu?
Is it true that all the supplies business in these companies seem to have a lower headcount and increasing revenue compared to Agilent?