Analysts were expecting Parametric Technology Corporation (PMTC) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.28 for last quarter, but PMTC beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.30---2 cents above the consensus estimate. PMTC also issued earnings guidance for next quarter that is in line with current analyst expectations.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.45 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that PMTC’s earnings are down this year.

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Also, if you compare PMTC's 11.50% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 17.21% for the Technical & System Software industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect PMTC to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Technical & System Software industry, you can see how analysts believe PMTC will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Cadence Design Systems Inc. (CDNS) [Chart - News - Analysis] and National Instruments Corp. (NATI) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe CDNS's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 12.00% while NATI's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 16.00%.

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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