Among companies scheduled to report earnings tomorrow are McDonald's Corp. (NYSE: MCD), Verizon Commnuications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), and American Express Co. (NYSE: AXP). Michael Fowlkes has posted a good preview for McDonald's; below is a quick peek at the other two companies.
Verizon has met or beat earnings expectations every quarter since the second of 2005. When it reported third-quarter 2007 results back in October, its 63 cents per share earnings beat the consensus estimate of analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial by a penny, but was less than the actual 68 cents per share in the same period of 2006. For the current quarter, analysts expect earnings of 62 cents per share, or $2.37 for the full year. That's down from $2.54 in 2006.
Verizon's 10.6% earnings per share growth forecast for 2008 is less than the industry average and the S&P 500. The analysts' consensus recommendation is to buy Verizon, though 16 of the 29 analysts rate it a hold. The share price fell to a 52-week low of $35.40 last week, from a three-year high of $46.24 in October.
For news that could influence the earnings results, check out BloggingStocks' Verizon coverage.
American Express has only missed earnings expectations in one quarter out of the past nine. Third-quarter 2007 earnings, reported in October, were 90 cents per share, easily beating the 85 cents that analysts polled by Thomson Financial had expected, and up from the 78 cents actual earnings per share in the same period of the previous year. For the fourth quarter, analysts expect only 71 cents per share, compared to 76 cents actual in the same quarter of 2006. For the full year, they expect $3.37 per share, up from $3.01 the previous year.
The company's earnings per share growth forecast for the next three to five years is 10.4%, less than the industry average and the S&P 500. The consensus recommendation from the analysts has recently shifted from buy to hold American Express. The share price also fell to a 52-week low last week, $41.15. It had reached a ten-year high of $65.89 last July.
For news that could influence earnings results, see BloggingStocks' American Express coverage.
Will Rich Ross really have a positive impact on Disney's movie operations?
Consumers sick of recession, may spend extra on holidays
Corrections, seasonality and Santa Claus
