Carly Simon's hit Anticipation was once a clever marketing choice for Heinz (NYSE:HNZ) and its slow-pouring ketchup. This week, with the food giant set to post its fourth-quarter results tomorrow, the song might as well apply to any number of companies reporting their financials.
Computer Associates (NYSE:CA) and Costco (NASDAQ:COST) are scheduled to step up to the earnings plate. Tuesday should be a busy day for Motley Fool Stock Advisor members as TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO) and Krispy Kreme (NYSE:KKD), both Stock Advisor picks, announce their quarterly results.
A particularly interesting report will come from across the Atlantic when France's Vivendi (NYSE:V) checks in. As you'll recall, the beverage giant's efforts to scale back and pay down debt culminated in the merger of its Universal media properties with General Electric's (NYSE:GE) NBC. That deal was completed earlier this month.
While spinning off or selling its high-profile media units may have made the company less newsworthy, investors looking for consistent results and a cleaner balance sheet have applauded the moves. The market has certainly taken kindly to the dismantling -- the stock has nearly doubled off its lows of two years ago.
Sure, the new Vivendi may be less entertaining, but one could argue that fiscal viability and predictability are traits worth watching.
Do sleepy companies provide a better night's sleep? Can you love the unloved? What makes a stock truly boring, yet still a compelling investment? All this and more -- in the Boring Stocks discussion board. Only on Fool.com.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz can't wait to see what GE will do with Universal. He owns shares in Krispy Kreme -- and he's proud of it.
