S&P 500 (NYSE:SPY) component Monsanto Company (NYSE:MON) will unveil its latest earnings on Thursday, January 5, 2012. Monsanto manufactures agricultural products.

Monsanto Company Earnings Preview Cheat Sheet

Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 19 cents per share, a rise of more than nine times the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved up from 5 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has risen from 13 cents during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 15.5% versus last year to $3.42.

Past Earnings Performance: The company has beaten estimates the last four quarters and is coming off a quarter where it topped forecasts by 5 cents, reporting a loss of 22 cents per share against a mean estimate of net loss of 27 cents per share.

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Wall St. Revenue Expectations: Analysts are projecting a rise of 11.5% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $2.04 billion.

Analyst Ratings: Analysts are bullish on this stock with 11 analysts rating it as a buy, one rating it as a sell and five rating it as a hold.

A Look Back: In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, profit remained level at $0.0 (0 cents a share) from the year earlier, beating analyst estimates. Revenue was unchanged at $0.0.

Key Stats:

Over the last four quarters, revenue has increased 8.8% on average year over year. The biggest increase came in the third quarter of the last fiscal year, when revenue rose 21.2% from the year earlier quarter.

Competitors to Watch: Syngenta AG (NYSE:SYT), The Scotts Miracle-Gro Co. (NYSE:SMG), The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE:DOW), FMC Corporation (NYSE:FMC), The Mosaic Company (NYSE:MOS), American Vanguard Corp. (NYSE:AVD), CF Industries Hldgs., Inc. (NYSE:CF), IGENE Biotechnology, Inc. (IGNE), TyraTech, Inc. (TYR), and Origin Agritech Ltd. (NASDAQ:SEED).

Stock Price Performance: During October 5, 2011 to December 30, 2011, the stock price had risen $3.82 (5.8%) from $66.25 to $70.07. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between June 27, 2011 and July 6, 2011 when shares rose for seven-straight days, rising 14.2% (+$9.28) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between September 15, 2011 and September 23, 2011 when shares fell for seven-straight days, falling 9.5% (-$6.68) over that span.

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

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