Earnings Preview: Comcast EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise

Comcast CMCSA unveils its next round of earnings this Wednesday, August 3, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Comcast's second quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Wall Street expects an EPS of 41 cents per share and revenues of $13.83 billion. Investors will be keen to see how this quarter's numbers stack up against the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of 33 cents per share on revenues of $9.52 billion. Can Comcast manage the estimated 24.2% rise in EPS and 45.3% increase in revenues from the year-ago quarter as analysts are predicting? We'll have to wait until Wednesday to find out.

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

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Comcast were trading at $24.17. Since January 1st, shares of Comcast have given investors a return of 11.5%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 38.7%. 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 for Comcast is a Moderate Buy. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

Competitors:

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

• CBS CBS: Moderate Buy with a $0.29 recent quarter EPS
• Charter Communications CHTR: Hold with a -$0.58 recent quarter EPS
• Walt Disney Company DIS: Hold with a $0.49 recent quarter EPS
• Cablevision Systems (CVC): Hold with a $0.38 recent quarter EPS

Comcast is in the cable TV industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.4%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Comcast provides cable and communications services, offering a variety of entertainment and information to residential and commercial customers.

Take Action:

Now that you have reviewed all the numbers, be ready to move if the upcoming Comcast earnings report has any surprises. Also, come back to Benzinga after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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