The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE: PG) releases its quarterly earnings early next week. The market expects EPS of $1.58, slightly lower than the ones reported in the same period last year.

Procter & Gamble is one of the leading consumer staples companies in the world. Its stock price hovers close to record highs as investors await the quarterly earnings scheduled for release on October 19, at 08:30 AM ET.

Procter & Gamble stock price is on a tear higher if we look at the all-time data, but the price action has lagged lately. The stock price has been literally flat for the last 12 months, and slightly higher YTD, up a little more than 3%.

This is a dividend-paying company with one of the longest dividend growth histories. For 65 years, Procter & Gamble increased its annual dividend, rewarding its shareholders. The forward dividend yield is seen at 2.42%,  and the five-year dividend growth rate is 4.5%.  

What Are the EPS Expectations on the Quarter?

The market expects EPS of $1.58, slightly lower compared to the same period last year. However, the bias is that it will beat the estimates on the quarter, as it did in the past four consecutive quarters.

Analysts are optimistic about the Procter & Gamble stock price. No analyst out of the 29 that cover the stock price has a sell rating, and five have issued neutral ratings. The rest have buy ratings, with names such as Deutsche Bank or Morgan Stanley having price targets of $163, respectively $161 for the Procter & Gamble stock price.

The company operates with a gross profit margin of 51.43%, much higher than the 34.38% sector median.