A Preview Of Accenture's Earnings

Accenture ACN announces its next round of earnings this Thursday, December 17. Here is Benzinga's everything-that-matters guide for this Thursday's Q1 earnings announcement.

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

Based on management's projections, Accenture analysts model for earnings of $2.05 per share on sales of $11.36 billion. In the same quarter last year, Accenture reported earnings per share of $2.09 on revenue of $11.36 billion.

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 when it reports Thursday, EPS would have fallen 1.91%. Sales would be up 0.01% from the year-ago period. Accenture's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past like this:

Stock Performance

Shares of Accenture were trading at $246.92 as of December 15. Over the last 52-week period, shares are up 18.96%. Given that these returns are generally positive, long-term shareholders are probably satisfied going into this earnings release.

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