7 Reasons Not to Worry This Week

Maybe it's not too late to throw in the towel.   

On Friday, I singled out seven bellwethers that analysts see posting lower quarterly profits this week, but the outlook isn't entirely bleak. In fact, several companies are growing in this recessionary climate.

Since I took my shots at Mr. Market over the weekend, let me come right back with the counterpunches. Here are seven companies that analysts see posting healthier bottom lines this week.

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

Clearing the table
Let's start at the top. Online advertising hasn't been entirely immune to the economic slowdown, but Google's stronghold in paid search has held up well. Big G has been growing, even as its smaller rivals have been shrinking. It's true that 9% bottom-line growth is a far cry from what Google investors have been treated to historically, but I'm sure that shareholders will take it, given the dot-com competitors that are heading the other way.

IBM may be a surprising name on the list, since it's at the mercy of corporate sentiment and IT spending. However, just as IBM's ads rave about the savings of going green through IBM, there is clearly a market for business services if the end result is improved efficiency at a lower cost.

Abbott Labs and Baxter are two of the world's larger drug companies. They command market caps of $77 billion and $35 billion, respectively. Their sector has typically held up well in all economic climates, but shareholders shouldn't take history for granted. Key drugs go off patent, and health-care reform is bound to squeeze margins in some form.

JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are as close as one can get to receiving the Good Housekeeping seal of approval in financial services. They weathered last year's storm, even though they're not above criticism for their participation in the government bailout. Both companies see dramatic year-over-year improvement this week. JPMorgan Chase reports on Wednesday. Goldman Sachs follows a day later.

Finally, we have Citigroup. The beleaguered bank won't get the same kind of warm, fuzzy reception that JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are expecting. Analysts still see Citi posting a loss in its latest quarter. However, it's commendable that the company's deficit clocks in at roughly a third of what it bled a year ago.

Cross those fingers, but know the fundamentals
These aren't the only companies expected to post year-over-year gains this week. Several companies have either found ways to grow during the recession or have simply cut enough corners to show improvement on the bottom line.

This doesn't mean investors can rest easy. The bad news is that these companies are expected to post improving results. Since the optimism is already baked into their share prices, it's easier for them to slip -- but why begin worrying about the companies that we aren't supposed to be worrying about?

If analysts are doing a good job modeling their profit targets, we'll be just fine.

Some other reads to get you through the week:

• It's Time for a Shareholder Revolution
• 5 Dates to Circle in October
• The Confederacy of Wusses Cries Again