Cards and suits aren't just for your weekly bridge game. They will dominate the week that lies ahead. Let's take a closer look.
Monday
The week kicks off with a nod to snappy dressers as Jos. A. Bank Clothiers (NASDAQ:JOSB) produces its fiscal fourth-quarter financials. Expectations are understandably lofty after the company posted healthy third-quarter results back in December. Then the company saw its sales climb by 15%, while healthier margins hemmed earnings 20% higher.
The specialty retailer made its mark with its tailored suits before expanding into casual upscale clothing. The market's been paying attention: The stock has more than tripled over the past three years. But it still trades at a reasonable earnings multiple of less than 20. In other words, if you try the stock on for size, you just may like the fit.
Tuesday
Have you ever wondered how many Valentine's Day cards get exchanged? American Greetings (NYSE:AM) knows the answer, and it may even kiss and tell when it discloses its fiscal fourth-quarter results on Tuesday. Predictably, the greeting-card company's two strongest periods tend to be its November and February quarters. That's why it seemed odd for the company to announce layoffs a few months ago, while still toiling away in peak season.
The company, second only to Hallmark in the greeting-card space, has also been restructuring its debt and cutting other costs as a way to keep its overhead lean to combat consumers who seem to have no problem replacing actual cards with free online greetings.
Wednesday
A few prolific companies are wedged into the dead center of what would have otherwise been a quiet week on the earnings front. You'll get a dramatic cross-section of bellwethers to look over when Monsanto (NYSE:MON), Bed Bath & Beyond (NASDAQ:BBBY), Alcoa (NYSE:AA), and WD-40 (NASDAQ:WDFC) all report on Wednesday.
What? You didn't even know that WD-40 traded publicly? Well, it really isn't a one-product company anymore -- its consumer products include X-14, 2000 Flushes, Lava, 3-in-One, Carpet Fresh, and Spot Shot.
Thursday
How cool is it that trading-card maker Topps (NASDAQ:TOPP) is announcing its quarterly numbers just as the 2005 baseball season gets under way? What? Am I the only one? Oh, well.
Topps isn't as profitable as it was a few years earlier, and it's been turning to its booming confectionary business to offset sluggish card sales. The most important thing is that the company remains consistently in the black. The stock has traded at a surprisingly tight trading range over the past few years, so it may not be long before another tactical shift begins to try to lift the stock out of its current trading rut.
Friday
A small slate of mostly overseas companies will dignify the final trading day of the week with an earnings report. That's right. Surely, you have big plans, too.
Want to learn more about the companies waiting to report earnings this week? Check out:
Until next week, I remain,
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz still keeps his baseball-card collection close -- and free of steroids. 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.
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