Top Earnings Previews For Thursday (ARG, CTL, CVS, DMD, DTV, EP, KFT, PMI, PCLN, V)

Earnings season may have peaked but we still have some key sector moving stocks due to report earnings on Thursday morning.  We have offered previews and some basic color on shares of Airgas Inc. (NYSE: ARG), CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL), CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS), Demand Media, Inc. (NYSE: DMD), DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV), El Paso Corp. (NYSE: EP), Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT), PMI Group Inc. (NYSE: PMI), priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ: PCLN), and Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V).

These of course are not the only earnings due and they are not the only important earnings.  We also provided Thomson Reuters data on each.

Airgas Inc. (NYSE: ARG) is set to report earnings Thursday morning. Shares were at $67.54 late on Wednesday and the 52-week range is $59.26 to $71.28.  Now that the merger saga is over, investors will get to look to see if the company was right in not merging.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.85 EPS and $1.07 billion revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.96 EPS and revenue estimates are $1.15 billion.

CenturyLink, Inc. (NYSE: CTL) has closed on Qwest and is now in the pending Savvis Inc. (NASDAQ: SVVS) merger. This means that estimates versus reality could be anyone’s guess.  Shares were at $40.35 late Wednesday and the 52-week range is $14.16 to $46.87. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.70 EPS and $1.7 revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.72 EPS and revenue estimates are $4.49 billion due to the integrated structure.  Again, it is anyone’s guess on how the reality versus the estimates and guidance comes to.

CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS) is due Thursday morning and shares were at $36.13 late on Tuesday versus a 52-week range of $26.84 to $37.39.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.55 EPS and $25.87 billion in revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.65 EPS and revenue estimates are $26.44 billion.

Demand Media, Inc. (NYSE: DMD) is coming to its first real quarter after its IPO on Thursday.  Shares were up over 5% at $15.65 late Wednesday and the post-IPO range is $13.99 to $127.38.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.04 EPS and $69.57 million revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.05 EPS and revenue estimates are $73.37 million.  How this report will look is anyone’s guess, but it would be easy to expect volatility.

DIRECTV (NASDAQ: DTV) is not as widely followed into earnings as many might guess but it can impact cable and satellite players.  At $48.35 late Wednesday, the 52-week range is $33.25 to $49.22. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.71 EPS and $6.23 billion in revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.83 EPS and revenue estimates are $6.47 billion.

El Paso Corp. (NYSE: EP) is another nat-gas player with earnings this week due on Thursday morning.  Shares were down over 2% at $18.28 late-Wednesday and the 52-week range is $10.17 to $19.67.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.28 EPS and $1.27 billion revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.22 EPS and revenue estimates are $1.2 billion.

Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is due Thursday morning and shares hit a 52-week high of $34.00  on Wednesday.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.47 EPS and $12.33 billion revenue; next quarter estimates are $0.62 EPS and revenue estimates are $12.99 billion.

PMI Group Inc. (NYSE: PMI) is no market-moving stock but it is watched for its mortgage insurance operations and some feel it is still at risk.  At $2.03 late Wednesday, its 52-week range is $1.85 to $5.18.  As a reminder, its book value is less useful as a tool because it has losses.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of -$0.38 EPS EPS and $144.35 million revenue; next quarter estimates are -$0.22 EPS and revenue estimates are $144.11 million.

priceline.com Incorporated (NASDAQ: PCLN) is due Thursday afternoon and it is one of the mega-high share price leaders.  At $537.57 late Wednesday, its 52-week range is $173.32 to $561.88.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $2.45 EPS and $779.18 million revenue; next quarter estimates are $4.37 EPS and revenue estimates are $999.53 million.  A “meet and reaffirm” quarter is not likely to be near enough.  Is a stock split too much to ask?

Visa, Inc. (NYSE: V) is due Thursday and we’ll get to see more of that interchange argument.  At $79.77 late on Wednesday, the 52-week range is $64.90 to $90.95. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.20 EPS and $2.23 billion revenue; next quarter estimates are $1.20 EPS and revenue estimates are $2.28 billion.

JON C. OGG