Monday
The new trading week kicks off with a "pow" and a "ka-blam" now that Marvel Entertainment (NYSE:MVL) is reporting. This should be a lull for the superhero powerhouse. Analysts expect Marvel to earn $0.10 a share for the December quarter, a third of what it earned a year earlier. We're still months away from when the Spider-Man gold mine hits the local multiplex, and things will get even more interesting now that the Stock Advisor recommendation is bankrolling some of its future releases.
Tuesday
Let's make Tuesday a Blockbuster (NYSE:BBI) blockbuster. The video rental giant clearly has a popular hit on its hands with its Total Access program. We know that much. What we don't know is if the company can turn a profit on the service. Blockbuster has always posted a profit in the seasonally spiked fourth quarter, though (as with Marvel) analysts expect the company to earn less than a third of what it did a year earlier.
Wednesday
Things get a little more soothing on Wednesday. A week after hopefully being pampered on Valentine's Day, spa operator Steiner Leisure (NASDAQ:STNR) reports on the quarter that ended in December. The stock is one of the earliest picks in the Motley Fool Rule Breakers growth-stock service. Shares have more than doubled since being singled out in the fall of 2004.
The secret to Steiner's success has been twofold. First, it is really the only name that matters in running cruise-ship spas. If you set sail on a big ship, odds are that it's Steiner's hands behind that soothing massage or hydrotherapy treatment. The other reason Steiner has been a winner is because the company has beaten analyst estimates for 17 of the last 18 quarters. It should be more smooth sailing for Steiner on Wednesday.
Thursday
Dell's (NASDAQ:DELL) bells ring on Thursday. We know it won't be pretty. Earnings are expected to clock in lower. However, this will be Michael Dell's first earnings call since taking the helm again at the troubled computer manufacturer. Audiences will hang on his every word. Since his company's stock has been singled out to both Inside Value and Stock Advisor subscribers, let's hope he doesn't keep us hanging for too long.
Friday
The weeks usually close with an array of obscure overseas companies reporting, but there's at least one biggie reporting this week. Insurer American International Group (NYSE:AIG) wraps up the trading week with its fourth-quarter report.
Until next week, I remain,
Rick Munarriz
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz recommends windshield wiper fluid when trying to look forward. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy.
