Capital One Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Rising Revenue, Falling EPS

Capital One (NYSE: COF) unveils its next round of earnings this Thursday, October 20, 2011. Here's Benzinga's advanced look at Capital One's third quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of $1.69/share and revenues of $4.05 billion. Capital One's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of $1.79/share on revenues of $4.02 billion. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if Capital One reports a decline in EPS and a small boost in revenue from the year-ago quarter, as analysts are predicting.

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

Stock Performance:

Shares of Capital One were trading at $42.06 as of October 14, 2011. Shares are down 0.9% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 11.4%. 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 Capital One is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has risen 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 Capital One's peers.

• American Express Company (NYSE: AXP): Moderate Buy with a $1.07 recent quarter EPS
• Bank of America (NYSE: BAC): Hold with a -$0.90 recent quarter EPS
• Citigroup (NYSE: C): Moderate Buy with a $1.09 recent quarter EPS
• Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS): Moderate Buy with a $1.18 recent quarter EPS

Capital One is in the financial consultation and loans industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.7%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Capital One Financial is a financial services company that markets a variety of financial products and services through its banking and non-banking subsidiaries.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Capital One's 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. In the meantime, here are some links to explore today.

• To see up-to-date news on Capital One, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here