Monday
We start off the trading week by playing games with Motley Fool Inside Value pick Mattel (NYSE:MAT). Analysts expect the toymaker to post a small loss for the period, but that's the way it often goes in the sector. The first quarter is a seasonal dud, but the holiday-charged third and fourth quarters deliver more profitable fun.
Tuesday
Put on that Panama hat when Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) reports on Tuesday. The search-engine giant has a lot riding on the recent Project Panama upgrade to its paid-search product. It probably won't be enough to catch up with Google (NASDAQ:GOOG), but a report of initial success may help rally investors around this Stock Advisor recommendation.
Wednesday
Maybe "Buy It Now" will inspire me to pen a column entitled 3 Words to Make You Rich, after this past week's 4 Words to Make You Poor. Then again, the way eBay's (NASDAQ:EBAY) sticky marketplace makes so many of us serial shoppers, it might be just another way to the poorhouse. Speaking of poorhouses, let's hope that Wednesday's first-quarter report doesn't go down that path. TheStock Advisor selection is projected to grow its bottom line by 25%, to $0.30 per share, for the period.
Thursday
What's better than Yahoo! reporting on Tuesday? The ability to wait 48 hours to stack the numbers against what rival Google posts on Thursday. The search behemoth's under pressure to keep its booming growth rate going, even though the company has only failed to topple analyst estimates just once in its publicly traded tenure.
Friday
The week closes out under golden arches as McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) chimes in. The world's largest restaurant chain has been doing more than flipping burgers lately. Its expanded menu now features premium salads and coffees, which should help growth continue. Wall Street expects earnings to climb to $0.56 per share, after a $0.49 a share showing a year earlier.
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.
