Emergency Medical Services Corp.

Emergency Medical Services Corp. is a leading provider of emergency medical services. The company provides transportation services directly and through outsource staffing. EMSC operates nationwide in over 2,000 areas and is headquartered in Greenwood Village, Colorado.

Earnings Surge

EMSC reported fourth-quarter on Feb 12 that included net revenue of $597 million, an 11% year-over-year increase.

Earnings per share were 48 cents, 55% higher than the fourth quarter of 2007. Net income was 4% higher than the consensus estimate, making it the fourth consecutive earnings surprise.

Guidance Issued

In the same press release, the company also released full-year guidance and expects EPS to be between $2.05 and $2.15, up from $1.97 in 2008.

Analyts Agree

The consensus estimates has been rising and is now $2.06, as analysts increased estimates following the announcement. Estimates for next year are now averaging $2.28.

If these estimates are met, the company's earnings growth for 2009 and 2010 would be 5% and 11%, respectively.

The Chart

Below you can see the full-year estimates for EMS have been rising consistently over the past 4 years.