Earnings Preview: Fortune Brands' Revenue Expected to Rise Slightly

Fortune Brands FO unveils its next round of earnings this Thursday, August 4, 2011. Here's Benzinga's essential guide to Fortune Brands' second quarter earnings report.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are predicting an EPS reading of 97 cents/share and revenues of $1.94 billion. Investors will be keen to see how this quarter's numbers stack up against the year-ago quarter's positive EPS of 98 cents/share on revenues of $1.9 billion. We'll have to wait for Thursday to see if Fortune Brands reports a decline in EPS and a small boost in revenue from the year-ago quarter, as analysts are predicting.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2
EPS Estimate $0.51 $0.58 $0.74 $0.77
EPS Actual $0.59 $0.63 $0.72 $0.98

Stock Performance:

As of July 29, 2011, Fortune Brands' current share price was $60.21. Since January 1st, shares of Fortune Brands have given investors a return of 0.5%. For a full 12 months, the return has risen by 10.6%. 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 for Fortune Brands is a Hold. This rating has strengthened slightly over the past ninety days.

Competitors:

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

  • Masco MAS: Moderate Sell with a $0.05 recent quarter EPS
  • Newell Rubbermaid NWL: Moderate Buy with a $0.46 recent quarter EPS
  • American Woodmark (AMWD): Hold with a -$0.18 recent quarter EPS

The consumer products company's industry has seen price/earnings growth of 1.2% during the current fiscal year.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Fortune Brands manufactures and sells distilled spirits, home and hardware products and golf products.

Take Action:

Now that you have reviewed all the numbers, be ready to move if the upcoming Fortune Brands earnings report has any surprises. Also, come back to Benzinga after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

  • To see up-to-date news on Fortune Brands, click here
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  • To see other company earnings recaps, click here
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