An Earnings Estimate is an analyst's best guess as to how much a company will earn per share in the future. This number can be affected by a variety of factors, including the company's current performance, industry trends, and global economic conditions.Most analysts put out earnings estimates on a quarterly basis, although some do annual estimates as well. The EPS number is usually released by the company itself, but there are occasions when it is not (usually due to financial irregularities). In those cases, the analyst community will try to come up with their own estimate using whatever information they have available.There is always some uncertainty associated with earnings estimates, since they are just that - estimates. But by looking at all of the relevant data and considering all of the possible scenarios, analysts can come up with what they believe is a reasonable prediction for how much money a company will make per share in the future.