S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY) component IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. (NYSE:ICE) will unveil its latest earnings on Wednesday, February 8, 2012. IntercontinentalExchange operates the electronic futures and OTC marketplace for the trading of energy, soft agricultural commodities, credit default swaps and other financial products.

IntercontinentalExchange, Inc. Earnings Preview Cheat Sheet

Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average estimate of analysts is for profit of $1.68 per share, a rise of 24.4% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved down from $1.72. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate was unchanged. It has since dropped over the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 24.1% versus last year to $7.01.

Past Earnings Performance: The company has beaten estimates the last four quarters and is coming off a quarter where it topped forecasts by 10 cents, reporting net income of $1.87 per share against a mean estimate of profit of $1.77 per share.

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Wall St. Revenue Expectations: On average, analysts predict $325.9 million in revenue this quarter, a rise of 14.4% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $1.33 billion for the year, a rise of 15.7% from last year’s revenue of $1.15 billion.

Analyst Ratings: Analysts are bullish on this stock with 12 analysts rating it as a buy, one rating it as a sell and five rating it as a hold.

A Look Back: In the third quarter, profit rose 37.7% to $132.6 million ($1.80 a share) from $96.3 million ($1.29 a share) the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue rose 18.7% to $340.8 million from $287.1 million.

Key Stats:

The company has seen net income rise in three straight quarters. Net income rose 19.4% in the second quarter and 27.4% in the first quarter.

Revenue has risen the past four quarters. Revenue rose 9.8% in the second quarter from the year earlier, climbed 18.7% in the first quarter from the year-ago quarter and 11.1% in the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year.

Stock Price Performance: During November 4, 2011 to February 2, 2012, the stock price had fallen $7.84 (-6.1%) from $127.49 to $119.65. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between June 24, 2011 and July 5, 2011 when shares rose for seven-straight days, rising 8.4% (+$9.95) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between July 28, 2011 and August 8, 2011 when shares fell for eight-straight days, falling 15.9% (-$19.69) over that span.

(Company fundamentals by Xignite Financials. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks)

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To contact the reporter on this story: Derek Hoffman at staff.writers@wallstcheatsheet.com

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Damien Hoffman at editors@wallstcheatsheet.com

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