Analysts were expecting Spartan Stores Inc. (SPTN) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.46 for last quarter, but SPTN beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.47---1 cent above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.55 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that SPTN’s earnings are down this year.

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Also, if you compare SPTN's 10.00% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 10.40% for the Food Wholesale industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect SPTN to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Food Wholesale industry, you can see how analysts believe SPTN will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Sysco Corp. (SYY) [Chart - News - Analysis] and United Natural Foods, Inc. (UNFI) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe SYY's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 9.75% while UNFI's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 16.63%.

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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