Celebrate your financial independence by checking out these stocks that will be lighting firecrackers over the next few trading days.
Monday
When you're handling sparklers, make sure you grab them by their unlit end. Not the kind of tip you were looking for? Well, it's the Fourth of July! What did you expect? The stateside markets will be closed.
Tuesday
The abridged trading week starts on Tuesday. Few companies are eager to blurt out their quarterly financials after long trading breaks, so perhaps that's why the biggest company to report on Tuesday will be ADE (NASDAQ:ADEX). Never heard of it? Join the club.
The semiconductor-equipment specialist will be wrapping up its fiscal 2005 by producing its fourth-quarter financials. You may not know ADE, but you probably know some of its clients. We're talking about companies such as Seagate (NYSE:STX), Samsung, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM). That's why you should pay attention to even some of these smaller companies -- their performance is sometimes connected to the larger companies that lean on them.
Wednesday
Wait a minute. Why is Ruby Tuesday (NYSE:RI) reporting its quarterly earnings on a Wednesday? Oh, well, some restaurants just don't have a sense of humor. Ruby Tuesday is one of them -- it isn't doing a whole lot of laughing these days at all, in fact. After a spectacular turnaround last year, fueled by the restaurateur's industrial acclaim for taking the nutritional initiative of printing calorie and carb counts on its menus, Ruby Tuesday stumbled back in October and has had a difficult time getting back up.
The company is still proud of its "Smart Eating" campaign, but going by the televised ad I just saw-- the one pitching the company's colossal burger topped with seasoned shrimp -- I'd say the company is now pandering to Ruby regardless of her girth. That's not necessarily a bad strategy. Let's see how it plays out.
Thursday
Want to get away and take everything with you? Fleetwood (NYSE:FLE) wouldn't mind that one bit. The leader in recreational vehicles will also be rolling out its financials this week.
It's a critical time for the company. Yes, the industry is in much better shape than it was when it bottomed out three years ago. Unfortunately, Fleetwood shares have shed a third of their value over the past year.
We spoke to Winnebago (NYSE:WGO) CEO Bruce Hertzke recently. Beyond singling out Fleetwood as his company's primary competitor, Hertzke painted an optimistic picture of the sector. Winnebago's stock has fared better than Fleetwood's over the past year, but it is still trading lower than at this point in 2004. Still, Hertzke pointed out that just 1.9% of the population owns an RV. There is clearly room for expansion, as well as for upside. But is there room for all of that optimism in a single RV?
Friday
It's often said that when a stock tanks, it got a haircut. But that's a flawed saying. After all, snip hair away and it's going to grow back. The same doesn't necessarily hold true for stocks. Then again, there is one company that goes in for quite a few haircuts. In fact, when it comes to Regis (NYSE:RGS), the more haircuts, the better.
As the company behind the Supercuts chain -- along with other scissors-and-shampoo outfits -- Regis has proved to be a steady grower, and successfully profitable, when it comes to its franchised empire that now tops 10,000 locations worldwide. That's why Tom Gardner recommended Regis last year for Motley Fool Stock Advisor subscribers. Well, on Friday, investors will get a chance to hold up the mirror to see how the company's fourth quarter turned out. Will it be a crew cut? Will it be a pompadour? My vote is for a mullet. You know, short in the front, long in the back. It may not be a stylish look these days, but when you're talking financials, it doesn't hurt to pack plenty on the bottom line.
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 has a sister who bought a new RV last week. He is part of the 98.1% of the population that mutters "Please don't ram into my car with your house on wheels" when he passes by her. 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.
