Analysts were expecting First Cash Financial Services Inc. (FCFS) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.34 for last quarter, but FCFS beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.35---1 cent above the consensus estimate. FCFS also issued earnings guidance for next quarter that is in line with current analyst expectations.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.30 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that FCFS’s earnings are up this year.

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Also, if you compare FCFS's 17.00% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 11.68% for the Credit Services industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect FCFS to outperform the industry in the future---which is a good sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Credit Services industry, you can see how analysts believe FCFS will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like American Express Company (AXP) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Capital One Financial Corp. (COF) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe AXP's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 12.50% while COF's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 10.25%.

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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Q3 was a great quarter for the U.S. stock market, but it looks like Q4 may not be headed for a bullish open.

The futures contracts for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), the S&P 500 (SPX) and the Nasdaq 100 Index (NDX) are all down as we head into the market opening.

The U.S. market isn't getting any help from other markets around the world either. The Asian and the European markets were also lower today---signaling that we have some bearish momentum heading into the U.S. market opening.

The Hang Seng index and the Nikkei were both down today. The Hang Seng closed down 0.28% and the Nikkei closed down 1.53%. The FTSE 100 in London and the DAX 30 in Germany have also both been trading lower during the European trading session. The FTSE 100 was recently down 0.52% and the DAX 30 was down 0.32%.

Commodity prices are also dropping a bit before the opening on Wall Street. Gold prices have dropped approximately $3.20 today, and oil prices are down by $0.52. These prices keep gold above $1,000 per ounce---at $1,006.10---and keep crude oil prices above $70 per barrel---at $70.09.

As you can see, the indicators we look at to determine what may happen in the market today are mixed. However, if you are looking for a few stocks that may lead the charge higher today, you might want to consider Publis Storage (PSA), First Cash Financial Services, Inc. (FCFS) and Alcoa Inc. (AA). Each of these stocks was upgraded by analysts today.

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