Earnings Preview: Pioneer Natural Resources' EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise

Pioneer Natural Resources PXD announces its next round of earnings this Tuesday, November 1, 2011. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Pioneer Natural Resources' third quarter earnings.

Earnings and Revenue:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of 90 cents/share and revenues of $642.1 million. Pioneer Natural Resources' latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 35 cents/share on revenues of $471.4 million. We'll have to wait for Tuesday 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:

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$0.83	$0.53	$0.43	$0.38
EPS Actual	$0.94	$0.68	$0.51	$0.35

Stock Performance:

As of October 26, 2011, Pioneer Natural Resources' current share price was $83.96. Since January 1st, shares have declined 3.2%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 18.6%. 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 crept upwards over the past three months.

Competitors:

Wondering how some of the other energy companies are doing? Here are a few of Pioneer Natural Resources' peers in that sector.

• Anadarko Petroleum APC: Moderate Buy with a $1.14 recent quarter EPS
• Approach Resources AREX: Hold with a $0.23 recent quarter EPS
• Abraxas Petroleum AXAS: Moderate Buy with a $0.01 recent quarter EPS
• Brigham Exploration Company BEXP: Hold with a $0.33 recent quarter EPS

The oil-US export and production company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.1% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Pioneer Natural Resources is an oil and gas exploration and production company operating in the United States, South Africa, and Tunisia.

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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