Analysts were expecting Bottomline Technologies Inc. (EPAY) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.18 for last quarter, but EPAY beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.27---9 cents above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.12 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that EPAY’s earnings are up this year.

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Also, if you compare EPAY's 16.67% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 12.19% for the Application Software industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect EPAY to outperform the industry in the future---which is a good sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Application Software industry, you can see how analysts believe EPAY will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Adobe Systems Inc. (ADBE) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Intuit Inc. (INTU) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe ADBE's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 13.00% while INTU's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 12.44%.

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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