The Fool's Look Ahead

Monday
The new trading week begins with a Sysco (NYSE: SYY) breakfast. The leading food-service provider, shuttling edibles to countless restaurants and other dining institutions, will shed some light on its fiscal third-quarter performance on Monday morning.

Through organic growth -- and more than a few regional acquisitions -- Sysco has been able to provide steady results, but recently it's been running a little flat. The market is looking for the company to earn $0.32 a share for the quarter, below the $0.34 per share it earned a year earlier. If so, it would be the third straight quarter in which Sysco's profits dip. And investors don't want another dip from Sysco -- unless it goes with a nice veggie platter.

Tuesday
Just as the seasonal amusement park season is getting under way, Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN) will chime in with its March-quarter numbers. Ignore them, for the most part. Most of the parks weren't even open during that time, though it would be interesting to hear how Knotts' Berry Farm in California and the indoor waterpark resort hotel in Ohio held up.

The more important aspect of this company's report will be its expectations for the next few months. Like most seasonal thrill-park operators, the second and third quarters are where the money is made. Cedar Fair has certainly done a "fair" job of that. The Income Investor pick has grown consistently, hiking its dividend a dozen times over the past decade.

Wednesday
What's brewing over at Starbucks (Nasdaq: SBUX)? We'll find out Wednesday, when the company pours out its fiscal second-quarter numbers. Don't let the previous breakout quarter cloud your expectations; the company's strongest quarter is always its seasonally potent first quarter. Analysts expect Starbucks to earn $0.14 a share this time around. That's a far cry from the $0.22 it reported over the holidays, but still a definite improvement from the $0.12 that the java master brewed a year earlier.

Thursday
If your Spidey-sense starts tingling on Thursday, it's because Marvel Entertainment (NYSE: MVL) is set to report. The company behind Spider-Man and the X-Men -- and other great characters that have been transformed into Hollywood blockbusters -- has been a superheroic investment since it was recommended to Stock Advisor subscribers in the summer of 2002. The shares have soared 463% since then, and who knows how far this sticky web will go if the company comes through with another healthy quarter?

Friday
Video game publisher THQ (Nasdaq: THQI) closes out the trading week. THQ, along with many of its peers, had resisted issuing profit warnings over the holidays, when gamers held back on buying new software until all of the new consoles were rolled out.

THQ proved mortal last week, finally hosing down targets. It had originally expected to earn $0.02 a share, but has already warned investors to expect a loss of $0.13 a share for the period. Tough game. Tough crowd.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz

Sysco is an Income Investor pick, while Starbucks is a Stock Advisor selection.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz recommends windshield wiper fluid when trying to look forward. He does own units in Cedar Fair. The Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.