Calumet Specialty's Earnings: A Preview

On Friday, November 06, Calumet Specialty CLMT will release its latest earnings report. Check out Benzinga's preview to understand the implications.

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

Earnings and especially earnings per share (EPS) are useful measures of a company's profitability. Total earnings, which is also referred to as net income, equals total revenue minus total expenses. EPS equals to net income divided by the number of shares outstanding.

Earnings And Revenue

Analysts are expecting Calumet Specialty to report a loss of $0.38 per share. Revenue will likely be around $531.73 million, according to the consensus estimate. Calumet Specialty earnings in the same period a year ago was $0.09 per share. Quarterly sales came in at $929.60 million.

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

Wall Street analysts who study this company will publish analyst estimates of revenue and EPS. The averages of all analyst EPS and revenue estimates are called the "consensus estimates"; these consensus estimates can have a significant effect on a company's performance during an earnings release. When a company posts earnings or revenue above or below a consensus estimate, it has posted an "earnings surprise", which can really move a stock depending on the difference between actual and estimated values.

If the company were to report earnings in line when it publishes results Friday, earnings would be down 522.22%. Revenue would be down 42.8% from the year-ago period. Calumet Specialty's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past like this:

Stock Performance

For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 7.35%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably relaxed 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. Calumet Specialty is scheduled to hold the call at 09:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.