Lumber and slumber will lead the way in the week of earnings that lies ahead. Let's take a closer look.
Monday
No, the market isn't open today. You can thumb through your bills and reflect on the meaning of Presidents Day, or you can brace yourself for the lively four days that will follow.
Tuesday
Is it time to untie that orange apron and twirl it around in the air? Home Depot (NYSE:HD) hopes so. The do-it-yourself giant that was doing so well until Lowe's (NYSE:LOW) left a scar will kick off the short trading week by reporting its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. While it can't seem to shake Lowe's -- the pesky rival is even chasing Home Depot around the earnings calendar as it reports the following morning -- Home Depot has started to bounce back. The stock is trading at levels it hasn't seen in nearly three years and its third-quarter results were respectable. The company's definitely trying to build something that will stand the test of time. Shareholders just hope that their aprons don't get too dirty in the process.
Wednesday
If you're suffering from the middle-of-the-week blues, how about a massage? No, not from me. I'm all thumbs. I'm talking about the well-trained touch of Steiner Leisure (NASDAQ:STNR). As the company behind most of the cruise ship industry's floating spas, Steiner has been giving its investors a smooth ride over inviting waters. Since it was singled out in our Rule Breakers newsletter back in October, the stock has risen by better than 50%. The fact that it has topped analyst estimates for 10 straight quarters may help explain the recent optimism as Wednesday's fourth-quarter numbers come to the surface. Bon voyage? We'll have to wait and see.
Thursday
Have you forgotten about The Gap (NYSE:GPS)? Dismissing the specialty retailer behind its namesake stores as well as the Old Navy and Banana Republic chains may be a mistake. The company has a history of bouncing back. It rode the denim trend high. It came back to ride the khaki trend even higher. That doesn't mean that anyone is expecting the stock to win the market's heart any time soon. Back in November the company produced a flat quarter. That's why even a strong holiday quarter won't win over skeptics who feel that the company's best days are in the past. Fashion can be fickle that way, but Gap has never been beyond trying its hand at reinvention.
Friday
While traditional radio keeps looking over its shoulder at the flying Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI) and XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR) upstarts, at least Clear Channel (NYSE:CCU) saw it coming. It was even an early investor in XM. It's also looking into high-definition radio as an upgrade. Closing out the week with a quarterly report that should be as reflective of the past as it is upbeat about Clear Channel still mattering in the future, forward-thinking investors have every right to question the future of commercial radio. With satellite radio looking to close out the year with 8 million of the most lucrative radio listeners, Clear Channel and its peers will have to rediscover -- if not redefine -- its stickiness. It doesn't have much of a choice. Static is never a welcome frequency.
Want to learn more about the companies waiting to report earnings this week? Check out:
- Homely But Lovable
- Stocks Fools Love: Steiner Leisure
- Clear Channel Changing Its Tune
- The Credibility Gap
Until next week I remain,
Rick Munarriz
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz thinks that orange aprons are cool. He does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.
