Analysts were expecting Greenbrier Companies (GBX) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $-0.03 for last quarter, but GBX beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.37---40 cents above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.45 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that GBX’s earnings are down this year.

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Also, if you compare GBX's 10.00% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 11.98% for the Railroads industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect GBX to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Railroads industry, you can see how analysts believe GBX will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp. (BNI) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Union Pacific Corp. (UNP) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe BNI's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 10.78% while UNP's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 13.82%.

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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