Monday
The weather is changing, which makes great news for Vail Resorts (NYSE:MTN). The ski-resort operator reports on Monday. Don't worry about the actual quarterly results. The company typically posts steep losses during the moribund quarter that ended in October. The next two periods are the profitable ones at Vail, and investors will want a glimpse of what the company sees as the ski season kicks into gear.
Tuesday
Kroger (NYSE:KR), the grocery-store chain, steps up with its third-quarter report on Tuesday. Despite challenges from warehouse clubs, organic grocers, and discount department stores broadening their supermarket staples, profits at Kroger should climb 17% to $0.35 a share.
Wednesday
We'll dig into thick burgers with CKE Restaurants (NYSE:CKR) on Wednesday. If the name doesn't ring a bell, you probably know the fast-food giant as the parent of Carl's Jr. and Hardees. Wall Street is looking for a profit of $0.13 a share in its latest quarter, flat with last year's showing.
Thursday
If you want a warehouse club to pit against Kroger's report on Tuesday, fate smiles kindly on you, as Costco (NASDAQ:COST) chimes in two days later. The wholesale-club powerhouse is on a roll. It recently announced that comps for the month of November soared 9%. Analysts see profitability climbing 16% to $0.59 a share for the quarter. Don't assume those figures are the upper limit, either; Costco obliterated the Street's expectations in its most recent quarter.
Friday
We close out the trading week with a quarterly snapshot of Value Line (NASDAQ:VALU). As a financial-research pioneer, Value Line's stock reports have been trusted as unbiased barometers for ages. How is it faring these days? Is the leveling impact of the Internet helping or hurting Value Line? Old-school publishers like Morningstar (NASDAQ:MORN) have been doing just fine in cyberspace, while new-media market-watchers like TheStreet.com (NASDAQ:TSCM) are rolling along nicely. So what about Value Line? Let's hear the company discuss the answers on Friday.
Until next week, I remain,
Rick Munarriz
