Analysts were expecting AmSurg Corp. (AMSG) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.43 for last quarter, but AMSG beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.44---1 cent above the consensus estimate. AMSG also issued earnings guidance for next quarter that is in line with current analyst expectations.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.39 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that AMSG’s earnings are up this year.

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Also, if you compare AMSG's 11.88% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 10.41% for the Hospitals industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect AMSG to outperform the industry in the future---which is a good sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Hospitals industry, you can see how analysts believe AMSG will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Health Management Associates Inc. (HMA) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Dynacq Healthcare Inc. (DYII) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe HMA's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 10.27% while DYII's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 0.00%.

Earnings season can be a volatile time in the stock market. Check out these videos and articles to be better prepared to take advantage of the large price moves that tend to accompany earnings announcements.

- Earnings Season is Here - Find Out How to Trade It

- Using Options to Trade Earnings

- Understanding Stock Analyst Research and Recommendations

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