Monday
I go way back with Helen of Troy. No, not that Helen of Troy. I'm talking about Helen of Troy (NASDAQ:HELE), the health-and-beauty-products specialist. I first wrote about the company five years ago, in the original 10 Stocks Under $10 article. The company fared well over the first few years, more than tripling from the $9.45 price tag that it fetched when I first stumbled across it. But things have gotten ugly in a hurry for this fallen hottie, and it's dropped down to the mid-teens. With sales dipping and margins tumbling, Helen's got a lot to prove to investors when the company kicks off the new trading week with its fiscal third-quarter report. Let's see whether it's stunning enough to launch a thousand bulls.
Tuesday
Is Genentech (NYSE:DNA) a biotech or a full-fledged pharmaceuticals titan? While many of the traditional drug makers suffered through 2005, Genentech shares soared higher on the year. Some have argued that those heady gains aren't necessarily well-earned, but we'll see what the company has to say about it come Tuesday. Yep, it's earnings report time.
Wednesday
Will big screens save LG.Philips (NYSE:LPL)? The company, a consumer electronics behemoth that resulted from the pairing of Philips and Korean-based LG, has investors excited thanks to the popularity of LCD televisions. Despite what once was a flat-panel glut, and the perpetual freefalling prices on plasma and LCD screens, LG.Philips has already started to produce healthy quarterly reports. We'll see whether the trend continues on Wednesday.
Thursday
Investors may still be stinging after a double-digit percentage dip the last timeCRA International (NASDAQ:CRAI) posted quarterly reports, but the company hopes to shake those demons on Thursday. Then again, at the time, it did trim guidance, so at least any potential bad news may already be baked into the stock's price. Contrarians may point out that it may also be the catalyst for a healthy trading day, with pessimism running thick in the air.
Friday
Friday is not a market holiday, but since the following Monday will be the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, most U.S. companies are taking the day off from releasing their financials. The same can't be said of overseas companies, so be on the lookout for Russian oil giant LUKOIL (Pink Sheets: LUKOY.PK) to gush out its financials at the end of the trading week. Like many of its global peers, its top- and bottom-line gains have been huge lately. We'll see how it all plays out now that oil prices have started to stabilize.
Want to learn more about the companies waiting to report earnings this week? Check out:
- Helen Looks Haggard
- Genentech: Good Company, Bad Investment
- Has LG.Philips Hit the Turn?
- CRAI Sheds Tears
- LUKOIL Is Slick
Until next week, I remain,
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz recommends windshield wiper fluid when trying to look forward. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.
