Death and diamonds will play bit parts in the week of news that is waiting to happen.
Monday
The holiday weekend will spill over into the warm, cheery, upbeat spirit of the ... casket maker? Yes, Hillenbrand Industries (NYSE:HB) kicks off the new trading week with its fiscal fourth-quarter report. It's not all about coffins with Hillenbrand. The company also makes urns, cremation equipment, and funeral home fixtures. Yes, it can be pretty morbid around Hillenbrand. The company also makes hospital equipment like rolling hospital beds and stretchers, but the cynic in us all has to wonder if there's an ulterior motive to aiding the medically bed-ridden. However, the one thing that certainly isn't gloomy about Hillenbrand is its consistent profitability. How profitable can Hillenbrand be? Analysts are expecting generally flat profit growth this time around, so we'll see whether the company is moribund or not.
Tuesday
Yes, it's TiVo (NASDAQ:TIVO) time. The pioneer in digital video recorders no longer commands the market it created. There are far too many generic models out there. But it's still the only brand name that folks remember -- certainly the only verb -- and that's why investors hope the company has a brighter future licensing software, selling ads, and feeding your iPod.
Feeding your iPod? Yes, that's right. The company recently announced that it was teaming up with Apple Computer (NASDAQ:AAPL) to help channel some of the recorded content into the new video-friendly iPod players. It's also looking to load up your handheld Sony PSP gaming system.
TiVo certainly knows how to spin a good story, but profitability has been lacking. No one is expecting the company to turn the corner with Tuesday's earnings report, although the company did reverse years of quarterly deficits by simply breaking even during its second quarter earlier this year. One would have to think that the stream of attractive deals will eventually catch up to the stock. The Stock Advisor recommendation could certainly use the boost, as the stock has been meandering in the single digits for years now.
Wednesday
Breakfast at Tiffany (NYSE:TIF), anyone? The high-end jeweler will discuss its quarterly financials on Wednesday morning. Will the financials go lightly? The company is entering the critical holiday season. The National Retail Federation expects gift spending to rise by 6% this year. How much of that is being high-marked for pricey jewelry remains to be seen.
The third-quarter numbers have been historically the company's weakest, so don't expect much more than a modest profit. However, with the company earning as much in the current fourth quarter than it does in the first three periods combined, the company's guidance on post-Thanksgiving store traffic will be important.
Thursday
There's no time machine for Novell (NASDAQ:NOVL). The company can't be whisked back a dozen years to relive its time as the undisputed networking software giant. Then again, it's not as if the company has fallen off the face of the planet. When it's not suingMicrosoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), it still has a business to run. Come Thursday, we'll know just how well it's been running lately. Or at the very least, who it's going to sue next.
Friday
Steel may seem like a forgotten growth sector, but don't go telling that to Quanex (NYSE:NX). The company makes engineered carbon and alloy steel bars, aluminum flat-rolled products, and precision-formed metal and wood products. The last time we took a closer look at Quanex was in June of 2004, when Roger Nusbaum singled out the company's uncommon traits in an area that most investors had left for dead -- no offense, Hillenbrand. Quanex has had a history of hiking dividends and topping analyst forecasts. We will close out the week with the company's latest quarterly report.
Want to learn more about the companies waiting to report earnings this week? Check out:
Until next week I remain,
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. T he 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.
