Analysts were expecting McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurants, Inc. (MSSR) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.07 for last quarter, but MSSR beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.09---2 cents above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.09 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that MSSR’s earnings are flat from a year ago.

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Also, if you compare MSSR's 14.40% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 10.88% for the Restaurants industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect MSSR to outperform the industry in the future---which is a good sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Restaurants industry, you can see how analysts believe MSSR will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Yum! Brands, Inc. (YUM) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe DRI's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 12.32% while YUM's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 11.49%.

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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