4 Things That Matter When Johnson & Johnson Reports Its Second-Quarter Results

It's that time again, folks: Earnings season is kicking into full swing. And with that comes healthcare conglomerate Johnson & Johnson's (NYSE: JNJ) quarterly report, which often sets the tone for the pharmaceutical industry.

Johnson & Johnson is set to report its second-quarter operating results before the opening bell on Tuesday, July 18. According to the consensus on Wall Street, J&J is expected to produce $18.97 billion in sales, which would represent 2.6% growth over the prior-year period, and $1.80 in earnings per share. Last year, J&J turned in a profit per share of $1.74. While past performance is no guarantee of future results, J&J has topped Wall Street's consensus EPS figure in each of the past 12 quarters, although it's fallen short of Wall Street's consensus sales estimate on more than a few occasions.

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Source: Fool.com