The Fool's Look Ahead

Monday
iPods, iPhones, and Macs -- oh, my! Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) certainly seems to have its pulse on what the public wants these days. We'll know for sure on Monday, when analysts expect the company to post a 37% spike in fiscal-fourth-quarter profits. If Apple tops the $0.85-per-share target, don't be surprised. The company has beaten Wall Street in each of the past 18 quarters.

Tuesday
On Tuesday, Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN) lets its earnings flow. We're just getting ready to head into the holidays, but Amazon has become profitable year-round. The pros expect the company's bottom line to more than triple to $0.18 a share, but the trend argues that an even better showing is likely. The leading online retailer's streak isn't as impressive as Apple's, but it has lapped analysts' expectations for four consecutive quarters.

Wednesday
This Bud's for you, come Wednesday. Anheuser-Busch (NYSE:BUD) is on tap with its third-quarter numbers. Investors are looking for a modest 13% bottom-line boost. That's OK --Anheuser-Busch isn't supposed to be a speedster. The real buzz in owning the brewer is its predictable growth and steady string of annual dividend increases.

Thursday
It's Mutual Fund Thursday! Well, that's what I'm calling it, anyway. Both Janus (NYSE:JNS) and Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN) chime in on the same day, to offer us a great read on the state of the fund industry as a whole. Both companies are expected to grow nicely for the period -- and why not? The market has been inching higher, and mutual funds continue to catch on as a great way to invest in the market. If you don't believe me, go for a free 30-day trial subscription to the Champion Funds newsletter service and connect the dots between healthy mutual funds and healthy mutual fund companies.  

Friday
Let's close out the trading week by taking a look at Rediff.com (NASDAQ:REDF). A lot of people will be watching the report from India's popular website portal, and not just because India's citizenry totals 1.2 billion people. The company had been a healthy grower until it stumbled in its previous quarter. Can it get back on track? With India's stock market back in favor, this would be a great time for Rediff redemption.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz