Monday
With stateside companies waking up slowly after the holiday weekend, we can kick off the new trading week in Brazil. Aracruz Celulose (NYSE:ARA), the world's leading producer of bleached pulp, reports its quarterly financials. Analysts expect the paper-products giant to earn $1.12 a share, but write that in erasable ink. The company has fallen short of Wall Street's estimates in four of the past six quarters.
Tuesday
Sealy (NYSE:ZZ) springs to life on Tuesday, as the mattress maker chimes in. The bedding industry used to be pretty consistent. After all, we replace lumpy mattresses all the time. However, recent weakness at innovative sleepsmiths, like Sleep Number bed manufacturer Select Comfort (NASDAQ:SCSS), have called into question the niche's resiliency.
Wednesday
Why is Ruby Tuesday (NYSE:RT) reporting earnings on Wednesday? Save that question for the casual-dining company. Restaurant chains are toiling in a tough climate, sandwiched between rising food costs and the necessity of providing pricing deals to win over penny-pinching patrons. Some restaurateurs are faring better than others; we'll see whether Ruby Tuesday's among them.
Thursday
Marriott (NYSE:MAR) checks in on Thursday morning. The market expects the hospitality giant to earn $0.49 a share in its latest quarter, down from last year's $0.57-a-share showing. Tough times are here, but Marriott is used to performing under pressure. It has met or exceeded analyst quarterly estimates for several years in a row.
Friday
Waiting on a General Electric (NYSE:GE) report rarely got investors worried, but they may be a little nervous this time. After a rare bottom-line miss last time out -- and the company taking drastic measures, like auctioning off its appliance business -- GE's Friday morning call will likely be a tough one to predict, for a change.
Until next week, I remain,
Rick Munarriz
