Amedisys's Earnings Outlook

Amedisys AMED unveils its next round of earnings this Wednesday, October 28. Get prepared with Benzinga's ultimate preview for Amedisys's Q3 earnings.

What Are Earnings, Net Income, And Earnings Per Share?

Earnings and EPS are useful metrics of profitability. Total earnings also known as net income is equal to total revenue minus total expenses. Dividing net income by the total number of shares outstanding yields EPS.

Earnings And Revenue

Analysts expect Amedisys earnings of $1.28 per share. Revenue will likely be around $533.18 million, according to the consensus estimate. Amedisys EPS in the same period a year ago totaled $1.15. Sales were $494.63 million.

What Are Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises, And Why Do They Matter?

Analysts who cover this company will publish forward-looking estimates of its revenue and EPS each quarter. Averaging together every EPS and revenue prediction that each analyst makes about a company in a quarter yields the "consensus estimates." A company posting earnings or revenue above or below the consensus estimate is known as an "earnings surprise" and may move the stock by a considerable margin.

The Wall Street consensus estimate for earnings would represent a 11.3% increase for the company. Sales would be up 7.79% from the year-ago period. Here is how the company's reported EPS has compared to analyst estimates in the past:

Stock Performance

Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 92.09%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders can relax going into this earnings release. Long-term shareholders are already enjoying 12-month gains prior to the announcement.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Amedisys is scheduled to hold the call at 11:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.