We're now a sixth of the way through 2017, and it's been a wild -- and for many lucrative -- year. However, we're just getting started. The month ahead promises to be just as volatile, though it remains to be seen if it will be as financially rewarding as the market's rally has been through the first two months of 2017. Let's look at some of the dates that investors will want to be looking for in March.
March 2
The buzz-generating Snap, Inc. (SNAP 2.24%) IPO is expected to price tonight, but the real fireworks start when the stock starts trading tomorrow. Underwriters are expected to price Snapchat's parent company between $14 and $16, and there's no shortage of naysayers. Snap's brief history, mounting losses, and monetization challenges could weigh on the stock.
Snap could be a busted IPO right out of the gate, or it can climb the wall of worry. The haters are there, but this is ultimately a company with 158 million daily active users that is growing quickly. Yes, it's losing money, but revenue -- $404.5 million over the past four quarters -- is growing quickly. The bearish camp has been vocal ahead of this week's debut, and now it's time to see where Mr. Market stands.
Image source: Snap, Inc.
March 7
Bojangles', Inc. (BOJA) reports quarterly results next Tuesday after the market close. It may seem to be a slow month to be singling out a fried chicken chain with less than 700 locations, but its nearest rival announced that it was being acquired by Burger King's parent company just last week.
Analysts see revenue at Bojangles' growing 9% for its fiscal fourth quarter and a profit of $0.21 a share, just shy of the $0.22 a share it rang up a year earlier. However, it has also topped Wall Street's profit targets by a double-digit percentage margin every single time over the past year. If the trend holds up next week it would mean net income continuing to grow instead of the expected retreat. However, the real reason to pay attention to Bojangles' next week is to hear what the company has to say about Popeyes getting snapped up. Will another burger giant be tempted to keep up by making Bojangles' the next buyout target?
March 17
Beauty and the Beast is one of Disney's (DIS 1.54%) most beloved animated films, and in two weeks a live-action version starring Emma Watson as Belle hits theaters across the country. Disney doesn't necessarily need the movie to be a hit. It's been the studio behind most of Hollywood's biggest box office winners over the past couple of years, and if the movie falls flat you know that Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars will save the day later this year.
However, the success of the film can breathe new life into the merchandising and theme park opportunities of the franchise. There's more riding on Beauty and the Beast drawing large audiences to the multiplex than just ticket sales, something that Disney excels at when it has a hit on its hands.
