Analysts were expecting Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. (COG) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.36 for last quarter, but COG beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.41---5 cents above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.65 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that COG’s earnings are down this year.

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Also, if you compare COG's 4.50% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 6.68% for the Independent Oil & Gas industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect COG to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Independent Oil & Gas industry, you can see how analysts believe COG will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like XTO Energy Inc. (XTO) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Occidental Petroleum Corporation (OXY) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe XTO's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 10.33% while OXY's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 6.67%.

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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