Lockheed Martin Earnings Preview: Analyts Expect Higher Earnings, Revenue from Prior Quarter - Boeing (NYSE:BA)

Lockheed Martin LMT releases its next round of earnings this Tuesday, July 26, 2011. Get prepare with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Lockheed Martin's second quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Wall Street expects a positive EPS reading of $1.94 per share and revenues of $11.43 billion. Investors will be looking to see how this quarter's numbers compare to the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of $1.96 per share on revenues of $11.3 billion. We'll have to wait for Tuesday to see if Lockheed Martin reports a decline in EPS and a 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:

Quarter	Q1	Q4	Q3	Q2
EPS Estimate	$1.51	$2.20	$1.58	$1.78
EPS Actual	$1.55	$2.38	$1.55	$1.96

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Lockheed Martin were trading at $78.32. Since January 1st, shares of Lockheed Martin have given investors a return of 14.2%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 14.4%. 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 Lockheed Martin is a Hold. This rating has strengthened slightly over the past ninety days.

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 Lockheed Martin's peers.

Alliant Techsystems ATK: Hold with a $2.10 recent quarter EPS
Boeing Company BA: Moderate Buy with a $0.79 recent quarter EPS
General Dynamics GD: Moderate Buy with a $1.64 recent quarter EPS
Northrop Grumman NOC: Hold with a $1.44 recent quarter EPS

Lockheed Martin is in the aerospace/defense industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Lockheed Martin is a global security company that develops and manufactures advanced technology systems and products.

Take Action:

Now that you're fully prepared, get ready to take quick action if the company reports any numbers significantly different from those listed above. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and what-to-do-next guide.

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