Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) is expected to report Q2 earnings on July 17. Here's what Wall Street wants to see:

The 10-second takeaway
Comparing the upcoming quarter to the prior-year quarter, average analyst estimates predict Albemarle's revenues will decrease 1.0% and EPS will compress 0.8%.

The average estimate for revenue is $734.4 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $1.22.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Albemarle recorded revenue of $711.7 million. GAAP reported sales were 2.2% higher than the prior-year quarter's $696.5 million.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Dollar amounts in millions. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

EPS details
Last quarter, EPS came in at $1.20. GAAP EPS of $1.20 for Q1 were 4.3% higher than the prior-year quarter's $1.15 per share.

Source: S&P Capital IQ. Quarterly periods. Non-GAAP figures may vary to maintain comparability with estimates.

Recent performance
For the preceding quarter, gross margin was 34.8%, 130 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 19.7%, 70 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 15.2%, 10 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead
The full year's average estimate for revenue is $2.96 billion. The average EPS estimate is $4.88.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a four-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 222 members out of 237 rating the stock outperform, and 15 members rating it underperform. Among 68 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 66 give Albemarle a green thumbs-up, and two give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Albemarle is outperform, with an average price target of $71.22.