Here’s our pick of the top earnings reports to be released today:
Aetna Inc(NYSE:AET), the health insurance company, is to announce its earnings today in what should be another positive report out of the industry. Individual patient’s use of healthcare facilities has dropped in the first quarter for most of the firms resulting in lower costs to insurance companies. Analysts expected Aetna Inc. to take in $8.61 billion in revenue and transmute that into earnings per share of $1.39. The firm’s report last year had them earning $1.50 per share on revenues of about $8.39 billion.
Colgate-Palmolive Company (NYSE:COL) is expected to announce an EPS of $1.24 on revenue of $4.2 billion for the year. That is an excellent result for the firm which came out of the same quarter last year with earnings per share of $1.16 on revenues of $4.0 billion. The company sells household products of many different types including dental care, home hygiene and nutrition. For other companies in a similar consumer goods market it has been a good quarter as consumer confidence rose and credit became more available. Consumers speding more has meant more money for the large goods firms and should be reflected in today’s report.
Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE:XOM), the world’s largest oil company and second largest company by market capitalization, will also announce its earnings today with high oil prices dominating trends. The firm is expected to reveal revenue of $127.1 along with earnings per share of $2.09. The firm is not doing as well as it did a year ago when it posted an EPS of $2.14 on revenue of $109.25 billion. The firm is seeing its own costs rise along with the rest of the world’s industry. The firm’s largest competitor, Chevron, will report its own earnings tomorrow.
Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE:LMT) the security and technology firm is also to announce results today. Analysts will be looking for an earnings per share of $1.70 on revenues of around 10.56 billion. That shows an increase in profit but a decline in revenue at the company who last year posted earnings of $1.55 with revenues of $10.63 billion. If the results do come in in line with expectations the firm’s stockholders will be happy. Lockheed Martin earns much of its money off of US defense contracts and so the firm’s profits depend a great deal on movements in that area and in total government spending. As of late the Air Force has been modernizing and Lockheed has benefited.
