Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Boston Scientific's Revenue, Earnings to Dip

Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX) announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, October 20, 2011. Get the latest predictions in Benzinga's essential guide to the company's third quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of 8 cents/share and revenues of $1.91 billion. Boston Scientific's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 12 cents/share on revenues of $1.92 billion. Investors are bracing themselves for Thursday when we'll learn if Boston Scientific reports lower EPS and slightly reduced 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 Boston Scientific were trading at $5.66 as of October 18, 2011. Shares are down 25.2% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has declined by 10.3%. Given that these returns are generally negative, long-term shareholders are probably a little upset going into this earnings release.

• Long-term shareholders are already wary of 12-month losses prior to the announcement

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Boston Scientific is a Hold. The strength of this rating has declined slightly 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 Boston Scientific's peers.

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT): Hold with a $1.12 recent quarter EPS
• AngioDynamics (NASDAQ: ANGO): Hold with a $0.08 recent quarter EPS
• C.R. Bard (NYSE: BCR): Hold with a $1.57 recent quarter EPS
• Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ): Moderate Buy with a $1.28 recent quarter EPS

Boston Scientific is in the medical products industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1.5%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Boston Scientific provides devices used in medical procedures related to disciplines such as cardiology, endoscopy, gynecology, and electrophysiology.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Boston Scientific'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 Boston Scientific, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here