Space, drugs, and superheroes will play more than just bit parts in the week that lies ahead. Let's take a closer look.
Monday
The week is going to start with a little global jam as satellite radio provider WorldSpace (NASDAQ:WRSP) produces its second quarterly report since going public over the summer. Like its stateside peers, WorldSpace is expected to lose money for its third quarter. However, unlike XM Satellite Radio (NASDAQ:XMSR) and Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI), WorldSpace investors can't claim to have had returns that are, well, out of this world. Yes, XM and Sirius have seen their shares grow sixfold over the past three years, while WorldSpace has gone the other way as a botched IPO.
Then again, XM and Sirius didn't go public with the allegations of terrorist ties that WorldSpace faced. XM and Sirius also have the benefit of growing much quicker than its overseas rival. Despite WorldSpace's potential and incredible reach, it generated only $2.3 million worth of revenue in the second quarter. Let's hope for some significant sequential improvement this time around.
Tuesday
When you think of successful biotech companies, Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN) comes to mind. The company has evolved into a pharmaceuticals giant -- and a great long-term investment -- thanks to its breakthrough Neupogen and Epogen drugs. As our Rule Breakers newsletter attempts to ferret out the next Amgen -- and out ultimate growth-stock research service has singled out a half-dozen recommendations of smaller, promising biotechnology stocks -- the original Amgen hasn't given up the ghost, either. The company continues to fortify its pipeline as a way to diversify its growing portfolio of essential drugs.
Wednesday
Look! Up in the sky! It's a bird. It's a plane. It's a Marvel (NYSE:MVL) earnings report. OK, so the intro may not ring genuine, since Marvel's fleet of characters does not include Superman. Like Batman, Superman comes from the rival DC Comics line. However, Marvel's motley crew would hold up pretty well in a bar brawl. With Spider-Man, Blade, Hulk, X-Men and Fantastic 4 in the lineup, Marvel's inked superheroes have also translated relatively well to their live on the big screen.
That has helped transform Marvel from a debt-laden company into a cash-rich Hollywood darling. As it gears up to start producing its own superhero action flicks, it has a lot is at stake. As investors, we have the luxury of taking things one quarter at a time. That's not too bad. Shareholders who have been patient with Marvel since its initial recommendation in Stock Advisor in the summer of 2002 have seen their investment grow fivefold. That is certainly a superhero performance.
Thursday
Yes, Thursday will be Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) time. However, the company already warned that results wouldn't be coming in as strongly as analysts had been expecting. That may come as a shock to those who are used to seeing Dell perpetually get the job done, with or without its fellow box makers playing along. So it may not be Dell's finest hour on Thursday. To be frank, it hasn't exactly been Dell's month, its quarter, or even its year lately. Unlike Marvel, Dell is a Stock Advisor recommendation that has lagged the market since its selection nearly two years ago.
Friday
It's another quiet Friday. With earnings season winding down, take the time to read up on some of the hundreds of daily earnings reports that have zoomed by over the past few weeks. It should certainly keep you busy at least through the weekend -- if not on to the next earnings season.
Want to learn more about the companies waiting to report earnings this week? Check out:
- A Stellar Way to Lose Money
- Amgen's Drive to Diversify
- Marvel's New Identity
- Dude, You're Letting Us Down!
Until next week, I remain,
The Motley Fool has kicked off its ninth annual Foolanthropy campaign! Nominate your favorite charities on our Foolanthropy discussion board through Nov. 6. For guidelines on what makes a charity Foolish, visit www.foolanthropy.com.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz thinks that looking ahead is the only way to drive down Wall Street. 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.
