Stock analysts expect several of Central Iowa’s publicly traded companies to unveil healthy results when they report their quarterly earnings in the coming weeks. Here’s a summary of when those companies plan to report their profits and, where the information is available, the expectations of Wall Street analysts who follow them.

* AmerUs Group Co. plans to release its first-quarter results May 3 after U.S. stock markets close, and will host a conference call at 10 a.m. May 4. To listen, call (888) 820-4341 or go to www.amerus.com/invrel/.

Five analysts polled by Thomson First Call forecast AmerUs earnings of 98 cents per share. In the same quarter a year ago, sales of $404 million produced earnings of 92 cents per share for the Des Moines-based insurer.

* EMC Insurance Group Inc. will report earnings April 29. The Des Moines-based property and casualty insurer had revenues of $86.6 million in the first quarter last year. No Wall Street analysts formally follow the company.

* FBL Financial Group Inc. will announce its first-quarter  profits after U.S. markets close April 28. A conference call follows on April 29 at 10 a.m. Visit www.fblfinancial.com to listen.

Analysts polled by Thomson First Call expect to see a profit of 51 cents per share. That would match the results of a year ago, when the West Des Moines-based provider of property, casualty and life insurance earned 51 cents per share on sales of $143.3 million.

* Maytag Corp. said it plans to report first-quarter results April 22 before U.S. markets open. The company will host a conference call at 8:30 that morning. To listen, call (800) 633-8137, or go to www.maytagcorp.com.

Six analysts polled by Thomson First Call expect the Newton-based appliance manufacturer to show earnings of 53 cents per share. In the year-ago quarter, Maytag earned 52 cents per share on sales of $1.14 billion.

* Meredith Corp. will report results for its fiscal third quarter, which ended March 31, on April 27 before U.S. markets open. The Des Moines-based publishing and broadcasting company will webcast a conference call with executives at 10 a.m. To listen, visit www.meredith.com.

Thomson First Call’s poll of six analysts predicts a profit of 62 cents per share on revenues of $299 million. That would represent a robust increase from the year-ago earnings of 50 cents per share on revenues of $278.2 million.

* Principal Financial Group Inc., Iowa’s largest company as measured by market capitalization, will report earnings after U.S. markets close May 3. It will host a conference call May 4 at 9 a.m. To listen, call (800) 374-1609 or go to www.principal.com/investor.

Thirteen analysts polled by Thomson First Call forecast first-quarter earnings of 65 cents per share for the Des Moines-based financial services company. One year ago, Principal posted earnings of 63 cents per share on revenues of $2.38 billion.

* Sauer-Danfoss Inc., an Ames-based manufacturer of hydraulic systems and components, plans to report first-quarter earnings after the markets close May 3. A conference follows on May 4 at 9 a.m. To listen, go to www.sauer-danfoss.com.

Analysts expect a strong showing, with earnings of 30 cents per share for the quarter on revenues of $360.5 million. During 2003’s first quarter, the company posted earnings of 21 cents per share on sales of $300.4 million.

* West Bancorp, the parent company of West Bank, said it expects to report its first-quarter results April 19 after U.S. markets close. One analyst predicts earnings of 26 cents per share. The company reported a per-share profit of 25 cents for 2003’s first quarter on net income of $4.05 million, and total assets of $853 million. The company doesn’t conduct quarterly conference calls