Altera (Nasdaq: ALTR) is expected to report Q3 earnings on Oct. 23. 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 Altera's revenues will wither -7.5% and EPS will shrink -19.3%.

The average estimate for revenue is $483.3 million. On the bottom line, the average EPS estimate is $0.46.

Revenue details
Last quarter, Altera reported revenue of $464.8 million. GAAP reported sales were 15% lower than the prior-year quarter's $548.4 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 $0.50. GAAP EPS of $0.50 for Q2 were 23% lower than the prior-year quarter's $0.65 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 69.6%, 130 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Operating margin was 34.3%, 910 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter. Net margin was 35.0%, 410 basis points worse than the prior-year quarter.

Looking ahead

The full year's average estimate for revenue is $1.83 billion. The average EPS estimate is $1.78.

Investor sentiment
The stock has a three-star rating (out of five) at Motley Fool CAPS, with 341 members out of 371 rating the stock outperform, and 30 members rating it underperform. Among 100 CAPS All-Star picks (recommendations by the highest-ranked CAPS members), 94 give Altera a green thumbs-up, and six give it a red thumbs-down.

Of Wall Street recommendations tracked by S&P Capital IQ, the average opinion on Altera is outperform, with an average price target of $40.38.

Is Altera the best semiconductor stock for you? You may be missing something obvious. Check out the semiconductor company that Motley Fool analysts expect to lead "The Next Trillion-dollar Revolution." Click here for instant access to this free report.