Snapshots, satellites, and savings will play bit parts in the week of news that's waiting to happen.
Monday
Buy a picture. It'll last longer. At least that's the mindset at Jupitermedia (NASDAQ:JUPM) these days. Most people may think of the company as the online research hound that's perpetually putting out studies about how folks are trolling the Internet, but its real growth spurt these days comes from selling digital photography.
It's a much bigger business than you think. It's also more lucrative. Since the second quarter of 2002, Jupitermedia has come in ahead of analyst forecasts every single period. That's why it's not much of a stretch to hope for earnings to come in ahead of the $0.19-per-share mark that Wall Street is banking on when the company announces its results on Monday.
Yes, great snapshots can be lucrative, especially to deep-pocketed companies that need fancy photography for their sites and don't feel like settling for the overused clip-art collections. It's why Jupitermedia and its rival Getty Images have been doing so well. Over the past three years, Getty Images has seen its shares nearly triple -- while Jupitermedia has been a 10-bagger. Yes, that's right. Investors have been smiling in these portraits.
Tuesday
Is Sirius Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:SIRI) overvalued? That debate never gets old. Pit the red ink of its past against the potential of this vibrant member of a market duopoly, and it's easy to see why some folks find the company's $9 billion market cap abhorrent while others think it's just scratching the surface. We actually ran a Dueling Fools segment on this intriguing stock earlier this month. On Tuesday, you will have a little more ammo to arm yourself for the next valuation debate as the company produces its numbers for the quarter ended in June. No, don't expect anything resembling profitability. The company's true colors are unlikely to show until the fourth quarter of this year and the first quarter of 2006, when the NFL and Howard Stern come to play. And even then, the company will still be deep in the red.
However, Tuesday's report will be interesting if the company either raises or lowers its current forecast of 2.7 million subscribers by the end of the year. Tune in and arm yourself for the next heated debate.
Wednesday
Some conference calls are never boring. Take Overstock.com (NASDAQ:OSTK). With a charismatic CEO willing to take analysts to task and the kind of brash confidence that growth investors crave, the middle of the week will be anything but ordinary. Yes, Overstock.com is an active recommendation in our Rule Breakers newsletter service. The company has been able to carve itself an identity in the rather bland online retailing space. That's not easy. Beyond Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN), the average person may be unlikely to name another purely Internet-based storefront. Overstock is looking to change that. Nailing its June quarter would help. It's all about the "oh!"
Thursday
What's eating Viacom (NYSE:VIA)? I've always had a soft spot for Sumner Redstone's media empire. I grew up on MTV. My children have grown up on Nickelodeon. CBS gets plenty of play in my home. We even hit three of the Paramount amusement parks two summers ago. However, every time I pull up a quote for Viacom, I am reminded of a series that aired on its rival ABC. You remember thirtysomething, don't you? That's where the stock has been stuck over the past year -- 30-something. Even news that the company was going to split itself up into two entities wasn't enough to shake up shareholder value. We will hopefully learn a little more about how the company is moving ahead on that front with Thursday's earnings report. Sumner, don't be late.
Friday
You've got to love it when a company earns $940 a share -- yes, 940 big ones -- and still misses its quarterly mark. That could really only happen to one company, Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa) (NYSE:BRKb). Warren Buffett's investing empire wraps up the week with its June-quarter financials, and when your share price is a whopping $83,000, you just don't get shaken or stirred when Wall Street is expecting $941.50 per share in earnings for the period.
Want to learn more about the companies waiting to report earnings this week? Check out:
- Images Makeover for Jupitermedia
- Viacom: It's Twins!
- Taking Stock of Overstock
- Dueling Fools: Sirius
Until next week, I remain,
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz would like to point out that Warren Buffett befriended Overstock's CEO as a child. That's because Patrick Byrne's dad ran one of Buffett's companies. Rick 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.
