Don't focus too much on the short-term numbers this week. Image source: Katrina.Tuliao via Wikimedia Commons.

If you own shares of beleaguered video game supplier GameStop (GME 0.95%), up-and-coming cloud company Veeva Systems (VEEV 0.35%), or old-time favorite Cracker Barrel (CBRL -1.96%), then prepare yourself for a volatile pre-Thanksgiving week.

Shares of all three companies are likely to take a wild ride: They are heavily shorted -- i.e., they have investors betting against their short-term success -- and all are reporting quarterly earnings. When these variables combine, volatility is almost always the result. If you don't believe me, check out the three stocks I singled out in early November. They moved an average of 11% following their respective releases.

But don't try to use this information to turn a quick buck. There's no telling whether these shares will go up or down; we only know that they're likely to make big moves. Instead, check out the slideshow below to see what Wall Street is expecting over the short term and what you, as a long-term investor, should really be watching.

Image sources: Veeva, Cracker Barrel.