Analysts were expecting Century Aluminum Co. (CENX) [Chart - News - Analysis] to report earnings of $-0.17 for last quarter, but CENX beat expectations with actual earnings of $0.45---62 cents above the consensus estimate.

If you compare last quarter's earnings to the $0.57 the company made per share during the same quarter a year ago, you can see that CENX’s earnings are down this year.

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Also, if you compare CENX's 0.00% projected earnings-per-share (EPS) growth rate for the next five years with the projected EPS growth rate of 15.20% for the Aluminum industry as a whole during that same time frame, you can see that analysts expect CENX to underperform the industry in the future---which is a bad sign for the stock.

Drilling down a little deeper into the Aluminum industry, you can see how analysts believe CENX will stack up against some of the other stocks in the industry, like Aluminum Corporation Of China Limited (ACH) [Chart - News - Analysis] and Alcoa, Inc. (AA) [Chart - News - Analysis], in the future. Analysts believe ACH's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 14.00% while AA's earnings are going to grow at a rate of 17.50%.

Earnings season can be a volatile time in the stock market. Check out these videos and articles to be better prepared to take advantage of the large price moves that tend to accompany earnings announcements.

- Earnings Season is Here - Find Out How to Trade It

- Using Options to Trade Earnings

- Understanding Stock Analyst Research and Recommendations

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