Monday
The trading week kicks off in China with Perfect World (NYSE:PWRD) offering its quarterly report. China's online gaming market is a booming one and also a controversial one. The government is concerned that younger citizens are spending too much time playing fantasy role-playing games, and questionable clinics are opening up to cure Internet addictions.

Analysts see a huge growth spurt at Perfect World -- with quarterly profits soaring to $0.64 a share after the company earned $0.40 a share a year ago -- but the near-term outlook for the industry is what will ultimately drive the stock next week.

Tuesday
Applied Materials (NASDAQ:AMAT) reports. It won't be pretty. Wall Street is braced for a loss out of the formerly profitable semiconductor giant. If Applied Materials lands close to its projected loss of $0.08 a share, it would be its third consecutive quarterly loss.

Wednesday
It probably won't be a shiny day for JA Solar Holdings (NASDAQ:JASO) and LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK). There was a time when the market was gaga over solar energy plays. That time is gone -- for now -- as JA Solar and LDK Solar are both expected to post sharp losses for their latest quarters.

Thursday
Wal-Mart (NYSE:WMT) hits the register. The world's largest retailer is also a haven of thrift, so it's typically portrayed as a recession-resistant retailer.

We'll see about that. Analysts see Wal-Mart delivering a quarterly profit of $0.86 a share, flat with last year. It's never easy to land right on the fence, so let's see if the discounter's bottom line grows or shrinks in these penny-pinching times.

Friday
Why stop shopping? Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) and J.C. Penney (NYSE:JCP) wrap up the week with their reports. As with most mall chains, the initial read is that the numbers from the quarter will be uninspiring.

Until next week, I remain,

Rick Munarriz

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