Mutual fun and mutual funds will color in the week that lies ahead.
Monday
China will chime in early in the new trading week. Investors will awaken to reports from Chinese employment listing specialist 51Jobs (Nasdaq: JOBS ) , import-export software publisher Ninetowns (Nasdaq: NINE ) , and online gaming giant Shanda Interactive (Nasdaq: SNDA ) .
Many of us Fools will be watching Shanda; the stock was one of the earliest Rule Breakers recommendations. As the region's booming economy continues to improve the prospects of disposable income in mainland China, Shanda should be a logical beneficiary. However, growing competition in this space has driven Shanda to break from its rivals by offering some of its older titles for free. Going with an ad-supported model is a gutsy call; it can backfire on the industry as a whole just as easily as invigorate it. It will be interesting to see how the company's faring on that front.
Tuesday
Heads may have turned when Eaton Vance (NYSE: EV ) was revealed as one of the best-performing stocks over the past few decades. Then again, turning heads is exactly what the money manager has done over the years. If you bought shares 16 years ago, at a split-adjusted price of just $0.55, you'd be sitting on nearly a 55-bagger today. The mutual fund juggernaut will report earnings on Tuesday, and with inflows continuing for the mutual fund industry as a whole, another healthy showing would add to its legendary gains.
Wednesday
Sail away with Steiner Leisure (Nasdaq: STNR ) on Wednesday. The company that runs the spas on most of the largest cruise ships will have its fourth-quarter results on tap. The company has topped analyst estimates in 13 of the past 14 quarters, so the odds are pretty good that Steiner will narrowly vanquish Wall Street's most recent forecast of $0.56 a share in earnings. Steiner is another selection from the Rule Breakers newsletter service. The stock has climbed 93% since it was singled out in the fall of 2004. A few days ago, analysts downgraded some of the cruise lines after warning of slow bookings; keep an eye on that as Steiner unveils its latest numbers.
Thursday
Costco (Nasdaq: COST ) will display its earnings in bulk when it reports on its fiscal second quarter. The warehouse club titan has been a steady performer, even if its growth rate hasn't been as heady as when it was a young, high-flying growth stock a decade earlier. Earnings are expected to clock in 11% higher; that's the kind of gradual yet consistent bottom-line improvement that Costco -- a Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick -- has delivered over the past few quarters.
Friday
The end of the trading week tends to be a slow time for stateside earnings report. That's why we may cross the Atlantic to check in on Rank Group (Nasdaq: RANKY ) . The U.K. company runs a diversified conglomerate, including video duplication services and gaming halls. Odds are that you know Rank more for its Hard Rock chain of restaurants and hotels. Then again, that also sounds like a great way to get the next weekend started.
Until next week, I remain,
Rick Munarriz
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz recommends windshield wiper fluid when trying to look forward. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. 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.
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