Chemical reactions come in many varieties with the companies looking to post quarterly financials in the market's first trading week of 2005 -- but is it market science or ancient alchemy at play here?
Monday
If you have ever washed down a chili pie with a Sunshine Smoothie then you are probably no stranger to Sonic (NASDAQ:SONC). The fast food drive-in eatery will be looking to break a few dieting resolutions as it reveals its fiscal first-quarter financials come Monday. Back in October the throwback chain guided investors to expect revenues to grow between 13% and 15% for the period. Then again, the company produced stellar comps growth of 8.8% in its fiscal fourth quarter, so it may be in a sound position to serve up another upside earnings surprise car-side.
Tuesday
Athletic footwear retailer Finish Line (NASDAQ:FINL) may claim "we've got your shoe," but we've got your earnings report right here, bud. The company with solid profitability and a healthy cash-rich balance sheet will be laced up and ready to play with its November quarter financials. A little insight into how the holiday selling season went would be a welcome bonus for those willing to go beyond regulation by tuning in to the company's conference call.
Wednesday
Agriculture chemicals specialist Monsanto (NYSE:MON) will be harvesting its latest quarterly crop on Wednesday, but the fruit won't come as much of a surprise. Two weeks ago it updated investors by proclaiming that earnings should come in at roughly $0.13 a share on an ongoing basis -- or a loss of $0.16 as reported. At the time, the company also provided fiscal 2005 bottom-line guidance as Monsanto is looking to earn between $1.85 to $2.00 a share on an ongoing basis for the year. That prices the company at nearly 30 times earnings -- not exactly a bargain hunter's multiple for a slow-growing behemoth.
Thursday
If WD-40's (NASDAQ:WDFC) arsenal of cleaners and solvents could pretty up its financials Wall Street would finally have a reason to smile as the company is coming off a few disappointing periods. Income seekers should also be warned that WD-40 has slashed its once meaty dividend two times on this side of the millennium. WD-40 was a one-product company until 1995 when it began to diversify with other household wares like Carpet Fresh, 2000 Flushes, and X-14. WD-40 seems to be the elixir to so many common applications; now if only it could apply some to itself. Then the company would shine and be squeaky clean.
Friday
Gap (NYSE:GPS) fan, are you? Khaki, denim, or Kravitz? Well, this isn't that company's day to shine -- it's that of the older supermarket company that owns the specialty retailer's ideal ticker symbol -- Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea (NYSE:GAP). Yes, don't worry. You weren't the only one to mistake the ticker symbols at first. Great Atlantic's collection of regional grocery chains may not seem all that glamorous, but it hasn't been all that upbeat for the sector as a whole with warehouse clubs and big box department store chains crashing the supermarket party. Either way, Great Atlantic will be bagging its financials on Friday. Let's hope it's in paper -- not plastic.
Until next week I remain,
Rick Munarriz
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz doesn't understand how Baby New Year ages so fast. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. He is part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.
