American Express Company Earnings Preview: Analysts Expect Higher EPS, Revenue

American Express Company AXP releases its next round of earnings this Wednesday, October 19, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for American Express Company's third quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are looking ahead to a positive EPS of 96 cents/share and revenues of $7.58 billion. American Express Company's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 90 cents/share on revenues of $7.03 billion. We'll know on Wednesday whether American Express Company has managed the estimated 6.7% increase in EPS and 7.8% rise in revenues on a year-over-year basis.

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

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$0.98	$0.93	$0.90	$0.85
EPS Actual	$1.07	$0.97	$0.94	$0.90

Stock Performance:

As of October 13, 2011, American Express Company's current share price was $46.33. Shares are up 9.7% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 19.3%. 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 American Express Company is a Moderate Buy. The strength of this rating has crept upwards 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 American Express Company's peers.

• Bank of America BAC: Hold with a -$0.90 recent quarter EPS
• Citigroup C: Moderate Buy with a $1.09 recent quarter EPS
• Capital One COF: Moderate Buy with a $2.04 recent quarter EPS
• CompuCredit CCRT: Moderate Sell

The financial services company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.9% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: American Express is a global payments, network, and travel company that offers credit card products and travel-related services to consumers and businesses on an international scale.

Take Action:

There is your peek into American Express Company'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 American Express Company, click here
• To see other trading ideas, click here
• To see other company earnings recaps, click here