Earnings Preview: priceline.com's EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise

Priceline.com (NASDAQ: PCLN) unveils its next round of earnings this Monday, November 7, 2011. Get the latest predictions in Benzinga's essential guide to the company's second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Ahead of the company's earnings announcement, analysts are expecting a positive EPS reading of $9.02/share and revenues of $1.42 billion. Priceline.com's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of $4.97/share on revenues of $1 billion. We'll have to wait for Monday to see if the company falls in line with analyst expectations and reports an estimated increase in both EPS and revenue from the year-ago quarter.

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

Stock Performance:

As of November 1, 2011, priceline.com Incorporated's current share price was $489.02. Shares are up 22.4% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 20.7%. 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:

Wondering how priceline.com Incorporated compares to rivals in the same sector? Here are a few of the company's peers.

• Expedia (NASDAQ: EXPE): Hold with a $0.76 recent quarter EPS
• Interval Leisure Group (NASDAQ: IILG): Strong Buy with a $0.13 recent quarter EPS
• Orbitz Worldwide (NYSE: OWW): Moderate Sell with a $0.09 recent quarter EPS
• Ctrip.com International (CTRP): Hold with a $0.27 recent quarter EPS

Priceline.com is in the internet commerce industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1.1%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Priceline.com is an online travel company that offers travel services, including hotel rooms, airline tickets, vacation packages, car rentals, cruises, and destination services.

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at priceline.com's upcoming earnings numbers, keep an eye out for any surprises in the report and be ready to take action. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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