Cheer up, my friend. Last week, I singled out seven bellwethers that analysts expect to post lower quarterly profits in the days ahead. But the outlook isn't entirely grim. In fact, several companies are actually growing in this recessionary climate.
Since I heckled Wall Street over the weekend, let me lead the cheers this time. Here are seven companies that analysts see posting healthier bottom lines this week:
|
Company
|
Latest Quarter EPS (Estimated)
|
Year-Ago Quarter EPS
|
|
Allscripts-Misys (Nasdaq: MDRX)
|
$0.14
|
$0.13*
|
|
Darden Restaurants (NYSE: DRI)
|
$0.66
|
$0.61
|
|
Micron Technology (NYSE: MU)
|
($0.20)
|
($0.27)
|
|
OMNOVA (NYSE: OMN)
|
$0.11
|
$0.07
|
|
Diamond Foods (Nasdaq: DMND)
|
$0.18
|
$0.16
|
|
CRA International (Nasdaq: CRAI)
|
$0.49
|
$0.32
|
|
MSCI (NYSE: MXB)
|
$0.28
|
$0.26
|
Source: Yahoo! Finance.
*Adjusted for one-time items.
Clearing the table
Let's start at the top. Misys was criticized for the debt it took on to complete last year's purchase of Allscripts, but no one seems to be complaining now. The health-care software provider is coasting along while the Obamacare battle lines continue to take shape.
Casual-dining fans may not know the name Darden, but they've probably chowed down at the operator's Olive Garden or Red Lobster eateries. Restaurant chains have been smarting for more than a year, so year-over-year improvements are understandable. Folks are starting to eat out again, even if the industry still has a long way to go before it truly recovers.
Micron shareholders aren't braced for a bigger profit this week. They will be perfectly happy with a narrower loss. The flash-memory and image-sensors specialist hasn't turned a quarterly profit in nearly three years, so even baby steps out of its big puddle of red ink are a welcome sight.
OMNOVA makes the coatings that make carpet, upholstery, paper, and tires better. Bottom-line expectations may be high, but OMNOVA has clocked in $0.04 a share ahead of analyst estimates in each of this year's first two quarters.
Diamond Foods makes salty snacks. Food producers may seem somewhat immune from a crummy economy, but this recession has been a rule breaker. Many food giants have struggled as consumers replace name brands with cheaper store brands on their cupboards. However, Diamond Foods has been a "diamond" in the rough.
CRA got a boost this summer, when a William Blair analyst upgraded the management and financial consulting specialist. An improving climate in corporate consulting and new CRA-specific deals in the Middle East led to the rosier outlook. It looks like the company will deliver on that promise this week.
Finally, investment indexing specialist MSCI went public two years ago at $18 a share. It's trading comfortably higher than that today, given the market's appetite for research and measuring sticks.
Cross those fingers, but know the fundamentals
There aren't too many companies reporting this week, so it's encouraging to see so many companies growing their bottom lines in this iffy environment.
This doesn't mean that investors can rest easy. The bad news is that these companies are expected to post improving results. The optimism is already baked into their share prices. It makes it easier for them to slip, but why begin worrying about the companies that we aren't supposed to be worrying about?
If analysts are doing a good job modeling their profit targets, we'll be just fine.
Some other reads to get you through the week:
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