Earnings Preview: Limited Brands' EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise

Limited Brands LTD releases its next round of earnings this Monday, November 14, 2011. Get the latest predictions in Benzinga's essential guide to the company's third quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Based on estimates, investors are readying for a positive EPS reading of 24 cents/share and revenues of $2.16 billion. Limited Brands' latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 18 cents/share on revenues of $1.98 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:

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$0.46	$0.39	$1.25	$0.17
EPS Actual	$0.48	$0.40	$1.26	$0.18

(Estimates Source: Zacks)

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Limited Brands were trading at $43.17. Since January 1st, shares have given investors a return of 42.9%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 11.6%. 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. This rating has strengthened over the past three months.

Competitors:

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

ANN ANN: Hold with a $0.47 recent quarter EPS
Ascena Retail Group ASNA: Moderate Buy with a $0.48 recent quarter EPS
Christopher & Banks CBK: Hold with a -$0.37 recent quarter EPS
Charming Shoppes CHRS: Moderate Buy with a -$0.01 recent quarter EPS

Limited Brands is in the retail-apparel and shoes industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 1%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Limited Brands is a specialty retailer of women's apparel, beauty, and personal care products and accessories operating under various trade names.

Take Action:

There is your peek into Limited Brands' 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 Limited Brands, click here
To see other trading ideas, click here
To see other company earnings recaps, click here

Market News and Data brought to you by Benzinga APIs