Earnings Preview: UST Inc.

UST Inc. (UST) is expected to report Q2 earnings before market open Thursday, July 24, with a conference call scheduled for 9:00 a.m. ET.

Guidance

Analysts are expecting a profit of 95c on revenue of $512.26M. The consensus range for EPS is 94c to 96c with a revenue range of $498.75M to $520.20M, according to First Call. On June 26, UST reiterated its FY08 guidance, saying it sees FY08 diluted EPS of $3.65, with a range of $3.60 to $3.70. The 2008 consensus estimate is $3.68.

Analyst Views

On June 24, UBS upgraded UST to Buy from Neutral, citing the company's strong management, company flexibility, and views the company as a potential acquisition candidate. UBS raised its price target on UST to $63 from $57.