AmerisourceBergen Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

AmerisourceBergen (NYSE: ABC) announces its next round of earnings this Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for AmerisourceBergen's fourth quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are looking ahead to a positive EPS of 56 cents/share and revenues of $20.18 billion. AmerisourceBergen's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 50 cents/share on revenues of $19.72 billion. We'll have to wait for Tuesday to see if the company reports higher EPS and a slight increase in revenue from the year-ago quarter, as analysts are expecting.

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

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of AmerisourceBergen were trading at $40.90. Since January 1st, shares have given investors a return of 20.9%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 24.6%. 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 is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has declined slightly over the past three months.

Competitors:

Want to check out the performance of AmerisourceBergen closest competitors? Take a look at some of the company's peers in the healthcare sector.

• BioScrip (NASDAQ: BIOS): Moderate Buy with a $0.10 recent quarter EPS
• Cardinal Health (NYSE: CAH): Moderate Buy with a $0.59 recent quarter EPS
• Henry Schein (NASDAQ: HSIC): Hold with a $1.01 recent quarter EPS
• McKesson (NYSE: MCK): Moderate Buy with a $1.63 recent quarter EPS

The retail-drug stores company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.5% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: AmerisourceBergen is a pharmaceutical services company providing drug distribution and related healthcare services to pharmacy, physician, and manufacturer customers based in North America.

Take Action:

That's your advanced look at AmerisourceBergen's upcoming earnings numbers -- be ready to take quick action if the company's report contains any surprises. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.

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