Analysts were expecting Rent-A-Center Inc. (RCII) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.51 for last quarter, but RCII beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.55---4 cents above the consensus estimate. RCII also issued earnings guidance for next quarter that is in line with current analyst expectations.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.44 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that RCII’s earnings are up this year.

{loadposition link_newslink1}

Also, if you compare RCII's 7.90% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 11.36% for the Rental & Leasing Services industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect RCII to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Rental & Leasing Services industry, you can see how analysts believe RCII will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like AerCap Holdings N.V. (AER) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Wesco Financial Corp. (WSC) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe AER's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 15.00% while WSC's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 0.00%.

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

{loadposition link_nowtime}

{loadposition followus}