Buckeye Partners (NYSE: BPL) is expected to report Q3 earnings on Nov. 2. 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 Buckeye Partners's revenues will compress -0.4% and EPS will increase 14.1%.

The average estimate for revenue is $1.11 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.73.

Revenue details
 Last quarter, Buckeye Partners reported revenue of $982.6 million. GAAP reported sales were 8.8% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.08 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, EPS came in at $0.55. GAAP EPS of $0.55 for Q2 were 45% lower than the prior-year quarter's $1.00 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 13.6%, 130 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 8.3%, 30 basis points better than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 5.5%, 300 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $4.48 billion. The average EPS estimate is $2.66.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a five-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 234 members out of 253 rating the stock outperform, and 19 members rating it underperform. Among 88 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 85 give Buckeye Partners a green thumbs-up, and three give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Buckeye Partners is hold, with an average price target of $61.27.

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