J. C. Penney (NYSE: JCP) is expected to report Q4 earnings on Feb. 1. 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 J. C. Penney's revenues will drop -23.0% and EPS will decrease -85.1%.

The average estimate for revenue is $4.18 billion. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.11.

Revenue details
 Last quarter, J. C. Penney notched revenue of $2.93 billion. GAAP reported sales were 27% lower than the prior-year quarter's $3.99 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 -$0.93. GAAP EPS were -$0.56 for Q3 versus -$0.67 per share for the prior-year quarter.

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 32.5%, 490 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was -10.8%, 1,320 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was -4.2%, 60 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $13.36 billion. The average EPS estimate is -$1.25.

Investor sentiment
 The stock has a one-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 651 members out of 989 rating the stock outperform, and 338 members rating it underperform. Among 274 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 173 give J. C. Penney a green thumbs-up, and 101 give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on J. C. Penney is hold, with an average price target of $27.00.

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