The Fool's Look Ahead

Monday
The new trading week kicks off with Smith & Wesson (Nasdaq: SWHC  ) on the firing range. Analysts see the gunmaker's earnings improving to $0.09 a share in its latest quarter. Fears of tighter regulation on new weapon sales and crime spikes in recessionary times have resulted in brisk business for companies like Smith & Wesson.

Tuesday
Some of the companies expected to post lower quarterly results on this day include Jabil Circuit (NYSE: JBL  ) and America's Car-Mart (Nasdaq: CRMT  ) . The used car retailer's shrinking profit is a bit of a surprise. Yes, auto sales stink, but America's Car-Mart has thrived in this tight credit environment by offering cheap cars with feasible financing. It posted increases in revenue, earnings, and same-store sales just three months ago.

Wednesday
Bellwethers that bear watching today include Paychex (Nasdaq: PAYX  ) and Bed Bath & Beyond (Nasdaq: BBBY  ) . Because Paychex is a payroll giant, its performance will hopefully provide a welcome glimpse into hiring trends. The home-goods superstore chain, on the other hand, will shed some light on consumer sentiment regarding sprucing up their homes.

Thursday
Palm (Nasdaq: PALM  ) readers? This is the day for you. Forget the numbers. Wall Street sees the company losing roughly three times as much as it did during the same quarter a year earlier. The real reason to tune in to Palm's report is to get a feel for how its revolutionary Palm Pre is selling since it hit stores two weeks ago.

Friday
The trading week closes with KB Home's (NYSE: KBH  ) open house. Like so many other homebuilders that have announced results in recent weeks, KB Home is expected to post a sharply smaller deficit than it did a year ago. Savvy investors will look beyond the bottom line, keying in on important metrics like order cancellations, new contracts, and a backlog of homes to hand over.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz