It's Showtime for Stanley Black & Decker

Stanley Black & Decker (NYSE: SWK ) is expected to report Q3 earnings on Oct. 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 Stanley Black & Decker's revenues will grow 7.8% and EPS will expand 8.2%.

The average estimate for revenue is $2.84 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $1.45.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Stanley Black & Decker booked revenue of $2.81 billion. GAAP reported sales were 8.1% higher than the prior-year quarter's $2.60 billion.

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, non-GAAP EPS came in at $1.32. GAAP EPS of $0.92 for Q2 were 19% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.14 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 36.6%, 60 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 11.0%, 180 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 5.5%, 210 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $11.17 billion. The average EPS estimate is $5.51.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 183 members out of 205 rating the stock outperform, and 22 members rating it underperform. Among 71 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 67 give Stanley Black & Decker a green thumbs-up, and four give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Stanley Black & Decker is outperform, with an average price target of $82.45.

Can your retirement portfolio provide you with enough income to last? You'll need more than Stanley Black & Decker. Learn about crafting a smarter retirement plan in "The Shocking Can't-Miss Truth About Your Retirement." Click here for instant access to this free report.

Add Stanley Black & Decker to My Watchlist.

Seth Jayson had no position in any company mentioned here at the time of publication. You can view his stock holdings here. He is co-advisor of Motley Fool Hidden Gems, which provides new small-cap ideas every month, backed by a real-money portfolio. The Motley Fool has no positions in the stocks mentioned above. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Comments from our Foolish Readers

Help us keep this a respectfully Foolish area! This is a place for our readers to discuss, debate, and learn more about the Foolish investing topic you read about above. Help us keep it clean and safe. If you believe a comment is abusive or otherwise violates our Fool's Rules, please report it via the Report this Comment icon found on every comment.