Sigma-Aldrich Corp (NASDAQ:SIAL) will unveil its latest earnings on Thursday, February 9, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for profit of 89 cents per share, a rise of 7.2% 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 90 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved down. It has been unchanged at 89 cents during the last month. Analysts are projecting profit to rise by 13% versus last year to $3.74.

The company has beaten estimates the last four quarters and is coming off a quarter where it topped forecasts by 5 cents, reporting net income of 96 cents per share against a mean estimate of profit of 91 cents per share. Analysts are projecting a rise of 7.7% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $626.9 million.

Competitors to Watch: Techne Corporation (NASDAQ:TECH), Life Technologies Corp. (NASDAQ:LIFE), Qiagen NV (NASDAQ:QGEN), Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (NYSE:TMO), Affymetrix, Inc. (NASDAQ:AFFX), Hawkins, Inc. (NASDAQ:HWKN), Enzo Biochem, Inc. (NYSE:ENZ), Aceto Corporation (NASDAQ:ACET), Strategic Diagnostics Inc. (NASDAQ:SDIX), and PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE:PKI).

Sealed Air Corp. (NYSE:SEE) will unveil its latest earnings on Thursday, February 9, 2012. The average estimate of analysts is for net income of 50 cents per share, a rise of 8.7% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved up from 49 cents. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has dropped from 51 cents during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting profit of $1.73 per share, a rise of 8.1% from last year.

The company fell short of estimates last quarter after topping forecasts the quarter prior. In the third quarter, it reported net income of 48 cents per share against a mean estimate of 49 cents. Two quarters ago, it beat expectations by 2 cents with profit of 40 cents. Analysts are projecting a rise of 6.6% in revenue from the year-earlier quarter to $1.29 billion.

Competitors to Watch: Bemis Company, Inc. (NYSE:BMS), AptarGroup, Inc. (NYSE:ATR), Rock-Tenn Company (NYSE:RKT), AEP Industries (NASDAQ:AEPI), Sonoco Products Company (NYSE:SON), Graham Packaging Co. Inc (NYSE:GRM), UFP Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ:UFPT), Constar Intl., Inc. (NASDAQ:CNST).

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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