As January draws to a close, Central Iowa’s publicly traded companies are preparing to report earnings and sales to Wall Street and Main Street. The following is a schedule of when companies based in Central Iowa expect to release profit statements, and how financial analysts expect them to perform.

AmerUs Group Co., which provides life insurance and annuity products, expects to report fourth-quarter earnings after U.S. stock markets close on Feb. 10. The Des Moines-based company has a conference call at 10 a.m. the following day. To listen, call (888) 810-4235.

On Jan. 12, AmerUs said it expects 2004 earnings per share to grow by between 8 percent and 11 percent from the level projected for 2003. The company, said 2003 net operating income will be $3.70 to $3.80 per share, according to Reuters. For 2004, the company said earnings per share will be between $4 and $4.10. For the fourth quarter, AmerUs is expected to have per-share earnings of 96 cents, the average estimate of five analysts polled by Thomson First Call. In 2002, the company had fourth-quarter adjusted net operating income of 92 cents.

FBL Financial Group Inc. said it will report fourth-quarter profits on Feb. 3, after U.S. stock markets close. The company will host a conference call with analysts and investors on Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. To listen, visit www.fblfinancial.com or call (800) 334-0872.

The West Des Moines-based company, whose primary subsidiaries are Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co. and EquiTrust Life Insurance Co., is expected to have profits of 52 cents per share, the consensus estimate of five analysts polled by Thomson. The company had per-share profits of 50 cents a year ago.

Maytag Corp. will report fourth-quarter earnings Jan. 29 at 6 a.m. Management will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. To listen, call (888) 568-1403. Nine analysts polled by Thomson expect the No. 3 U.S. maker of appliances to earn 52 cents per share, down from 62 cents last year.

Meredith Corp., the publisher of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and owner of a dozen television stations, will release fiscal second-quarter profits Jan. 27 at 10 a.m. To listen, visit www.meredith.com.

Profits for the period three months ended Dec. 31 are expected to be 37 cents per share, down slightly from the 38 cents it earned during the same period in 2002, according to the average estimate of six analysts polled by Thomson.

Principal Financial Group Inc. expects to report fourth-quarter profits and revenuea at approximately 4 p.m. Feb. 2. The company’s executives, led by Chairman and Chief Executive Barry Griswell, will host a conference call with analysts and investors at 9 a.m. the next day.

The Des Moines-based company, the biggest manager of 401(k) retirement plans, is expected to have per-share profits of 36 cents, down from the 53 cents it earned a year ago, according to the average estimate of analysts polled by Thomson.

Sauer-Danfoss Inc., which makes hydrostatic transmissions, steering components and motors for heavy construction equipment, expects to report fourth-quarter profits Feb. 18, and will host a conference call the next day at 9 a.m. The company’s executive offices are based near Chicago but its headquarters is in Ames.

Sauer-Danfoss had a loss of 3 cents per share in the year-ago period. The company is followed by one Wall Street analyst, who expects it to lose 4 cents in the fourth quarter of 2003.