| Analysts were expecting Covidien plc (COV) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $0.70 for last quarter, but COV beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.72---2 cents above the consensus estimate. If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.73 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that COV’s earnings are down this year. {loadposition link_newslink1} | {loadposition livevideopromo} | | | | | | {loadposition homeaccordion2} | | | {loadposition contentad} | | | | | | | | Also, if you compare COV's 10.77% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 13.23% for the Medical Instruments & Supplies industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect COV to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock. Drilling down a little deeper into the Medical Instruments & Supplies industry, you can see how analysts believe COV will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like CareFusion Corporation (CFN) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Stryker Corp. (SYK) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe CFN's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 14.50% while SYK's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 12.10%. 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} | 
