Palo Alto Networks Earnings Preview

On Monday, November 16, Palo Alto Networks PANW will release its latest earnings report. Benzinga's report can help you figure out the ins and outs of the earnings release.

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

Palo Alto Networks EPS is expected to be around $1.33, according to sell-side analysts. Sales will likely be near $921.64 million. In the same quarter last year, Palo Alto Networks announced EPS of $1.05 on revenue of $771.90 million.

Why Analyst Estimates And Earnings Surprises Are Important

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 match the consensus estimate, earnings would be up 26.67%. Sales would be up 19.4% from the same quarter last year. Here is how the Palo Alto Networks's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Stock Performance

Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 2.95%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders can be content going into this earnings release.

Do not be surprised to see the stock move on comments made during its conference call. Palo Alto Networks is scheduled to hold the call at 08:00:00 ET and can be accessed here.