Finding the Mean EPS Estimate at the Time of the Earnings Release for a Given Stock

The latest Earnings Mean estimate right before the Fiscal Period Ending date is the one you want.

In summary statistics page, if you query for IBM, Forecast Period = "Fiscal Year 1", you'll get the following results:

OFTIC    MEASURE      FPEDATS    FPI     STATPERS    FISCALP    NUMEST    MEANEST

IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     17JAN2002      ANN        18        4.81 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     14FEB2002      ANN        21        4.78 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     14MAR2002     ANN        22        4.77 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     18APR2002     ANN        20         4.11 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     16MAY2002     ANN        21         4.10 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     20JUN2002      ANN        21          4.06 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     18JUL2002      ANN        18          3.99 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     15AUG2002      ANN        20         4.00 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     19SEP2002      ANN        20          3.96 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     17OCT2002      ANN        21         3.92 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     14NOV2002      ANN        20         3.91 
IBM       EPS      31DEC2002     1     19DEC2002      ANN        22         3.91

The last mean estimate dated 19Dec2002 is the one you want.

Moreover, if a company reports earnings near the end of the month, the announcement will probably come after an IBES Statistical Period (usually in the middle of the month). In that case, there will be a consensus estimate *after* the Forecast Period End Date but *before* the Report Date of earnings that will be the last valid consensus estimate before earnings are reported. For examples of this, use the date range 2001 - 2003 for the Tickers "F", "T", "XOM".

If you use the "Summary + Actuals" web query, you can just pick out the last record for a given FPEDATS. For a given Forecast Period End Date choose the record with the latest Statistical Period date that precedes the Announce Date. That's the prevailing consensus estimate before earnings are reported, which may come after the Forecast Period End Date.