EastGroup Properties (NYSE: EGP) will try to beat its earnings estimates for the third consecutive quarter. The company will unveil its latest earnings on Tuesday, February 14. EastGroup Properties focuses on the acquisition, development, and operation of industrial properties in major Sunbelt markets throughout the United States.

What analysts say:

  • Buy, sell, or hold?: Analysts strongly back EastGroup Properties, with seven of 13 rating it a buy and the remainder rating it a hold. Analysts like EastGroup Properties better than competitor DCT Industrial Trust overall. Analysts still rate the stock a Hold, but they are a bit more wary about it compared to three months ago.
  • Revenue Forecasts: On average, analysts predict $44.6 million in revenue this quarter. That would represent a rise of 6.5% from the year-ago quarter.
  • Wall Street Earnings Expectations: The average analyst estimate is earnings of $0.78 per share. Estimates range from $0.76 to $0.80.

What our community says:
The majority of CAPS All-Stars consider EGP a good bet, as 73.7% award it an "outperform" rating. The majority of the Fools agree with the All-Stars, with 73.9% giving it an "outperform" rating. Fools are keen on EastGroup Properties, though the message boards have been quiet lately with only 11 posts in the past 30 days. EastGroup Properties' bearish CAPS rating of two out of five stars falls short of the Fool community sentiment.

Management:
EastGroup Properties' profit has risen year-over-year by an average of 12% over the past five quarters.

Now let's get some insight into how efficient management is at running the business. Traditionally, margins represent the efficiency with which companies capture portions of sales dollars. EastGroup Properties' net margins, which reflect what percentage of revenue becomes profit, have been rising year-over-year for the last three quarters. Here is how EastGroup Properties has been doing for the last four quarters: 

Quarter Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4
Net Margin 12.9% 12.7% 11% 11.7%

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Earnings estimates provided by Zacks.