Business

Analysts were expecting Imation Corp. (IMN) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.10 for last quarter, but IMN beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.14---4 cents above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.11 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that IMN’s earnings are up this year.

{loadposition link_newslink1}

Also, if you compare IMN's 10.00% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 12.75% for the Data Storage Devices industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect IMN to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Data Storage Devices industry, you can see how analysts believe IMN will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like EMC Corporation (EMC) [Chart - News - Analysis] and NetApp, Inc. (NTAP) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe EMC's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 12.00% while NTAP's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 14.54%.

Earnings season can be a volatile time in the stock market. Check out these videos and articles to be better prepared to take advantage of the large price moves that tend to accompany earnings announcements.

- Earnings Season is Here - Find Out How to Trade It

- Using Options to Trade Earnings

- Understanding Stock Analyst Research and Recommendations

{loadposition link_nowtime}

{loadposition followus}