Central Iowa companies prepare to announce quarterly earnings

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Second-quarter results will show sharp rises and steep falls in earnings among some publicly traded Central Iowa companies, according to stock analysts. The actual numbers for the period that ended June 30 will be reported in the next few weeks. Here’s a summary of reporting dates and predicted financial results for eight companies.

AmerUs Group Co. has scheduled an Aug. 3 release for its quarterly earnings statement, following the close of U.S. stock markets. The company will hold a conference call at 9 a.m. Aug. 4. To listen, call (888) 810-4235 or visit www.amerus.com/invrel.

Four analysts polled by Thomson First Call look for earnings of $1 per share, up from 94 cents in the same quarter a year ago.

EMC Insurance Group Inc. plans to disclose second-quarter results Aug. 5 at midday. The Des Moines-based property and casualty insurer had net income of $1.4 million, or 12 cents per share, in the second quarter last year. No Wall Street analysts formally follow the company.

FBL Financial Group Inc. will announce its second-quarter profits after U.S. markets close Aug. 3. An Aug. 4 conference call will begin at 10 a.m. Call (800) 811-0667 or visit www.fblfinancial.com to listen.

The consensus of five analysts is that FBL will report earnings of 51 cents per share, a 19 percent drop from year-ago earnings of 63 cents. The company posted $319 million in revenues in 2003’s second quarter, but one analyst predicts the total will be $162 million this quarter, a 49 percent plunge.

Maytag Corp. will report its earnings on Thursday. After a turbulent quarter punctuated by layoffs and a short labor strike, eight analysts polled by Thomson First Call predict earnings of 40 cents per share; last year, the Newton-based appliance manufacturer earned 56 cents per share in the second quarter. Three analysts forecast revenues of $1.19 billion, a two percent increase over the $1.16 billion result in the year-ago quarter.

Meredith Corp. will report results for its fiscal fourth quarter on Aug. 3 before the U.S. markets open. Company executives will host a conference call at 10 that morning. To listen, visit www.meredith.com.

Five analysts expect Meredith’s winning streak to continue with earnings of 72 cents per share, a 20 percent improvement over the year-ago figure of 60 cents per share. Revenues are seen rising to $319 million from $300 million a year ago. The company’s stock price has been trending upward since early 2003 and recently has hovered around $55 per share.

Principal Financial Group Inc., which sold its mortgage banking business to Citigroup Inc. for $1.27 billion in cash during the second quarter, will report earnings Aug. 2. A 10 a.m. conference call follows on Aug. 3. To listen, call (800) 374-1609 or go to www.principal.com/investor.

Nine analysts reached a consensus on second-quarter earnings of 59 cents per share for the financial services company. This figure would reflect a 12 percent drop from the year-ago result of 67 cents. Revenues are seen dropping to $2.27 billion from $2.41 billion in last year’s second quarter.

Sauer-Danfoss Inc., an Ames-based manufacturer of hydraulic systems and components, will report second-quarter earnings after the close of U.S. markets Aug. 4 and will hold a conference call at 9 a.m. the following day. To listen, call (800) 369-1773 or go to www.sauer-danfoss.com. One analyst predicts earnings of 35 cents per share, strongly higher than the earnings of 25 cents per share in the same period last year.

West Bancorporation Inc., the parent company of West Bank, will report second-quarter profits July 19 after the U.S. markets close. The company doesn’t conduct quarterly conference calls. In the second quarter of 2003, West Bancorp earned 26 cents per share on total interest income of $10.3 million.