Monday
Have you ever longed to dip a hot glazed doughnut into a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup? No? I didn't think so. That's why you should probably remember to keep Monday's quarterly earnings reports from KrispyKreme (NYSE:KKD) and Campbell Soup (NYSE:CPB) separate. It should be easy to distinguish one from the other. Krispy Kreme was once a high-flying stock before it crumbled apart because of iffy managerial decisions and breakneck expansion, while Campbell has been a different story. Though Campbell did warn investors over the summer that its long-term growth rate would be closer to 5%-7% over its previous 8% goal, it remains a consistent grower.
Tuesday
If Old MacDonald had a farm there would probably be more John Deere (NYSE:DE) equipment than E-I-E-I-Os. The agricultural specialist has been on a productive tear, with earnings doubling last year and growing nicely so far in 2004. While everything from strong harvests to rising steel prices may impact the company, it is going through a very healthy period right now, with revenues expected to climb 32% this year. With Deere looking to post its final results for fiscal 2004 on Tuesday one could very well expect that the next strong harvest will come from the company's income statement.
Wednesday
Spam wasn't always a nuisance. In fact, when it was just Hormel (NYSE:HRL) putting out the canned mystery meat version, no one complained save for a few kiddies here and there. However, Hormel spooked some of its investors back in August when it warned that it was looking to earn between $0.40 and $0.46 a share in its fiscal fourth quarter -- below the $0.53 Wall Street was expecting. If you've been left hanging for three months waiting to see how those numbers ultimately play out, Wednesday's got the answer.
Thursday
Ahhh, Thanksgiving. Families get together. Your uncle and your cousin will fight over the last turkey leg. Yet before you find yourself feeling grateful that football is on and the market is off, do remember that most of the other world markets are in fact open for business on this day. So, yes, lick the cranberry sauce rim around your plate but don't ignore the fact that Nintendo (NASDAQ:NTDOY) will let us know whether it's still got game. If you find yourself with a splitting headache after arguing over who makes the best pumpkin pie, take heart in knowing that Bayer (NYSE:BAY) will be reporting earnings as well.
Friday
If you're not out holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving then you're probably a lot saner than the mob that decks the mall on the busiest shopping day of the year. While online retailers such as Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Overstock (NASDAQ:OSTK) now allow you to scoop up bargains in a bathrobe and bunny slippers -- yes, that's right, we saw you -- it is still the day when traditional stores offer up great sales in order to move inventory. Be careful out there -- and that also goes for whatever culinary creation you come up with to give a new spin to Thursday's leftovers.
Until next week I remain,
Rick Munarriz
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz can't recall ever having a family argument on Thanksgiving, but, then again, he's never been a big fan of cranberries. He does not own shares in any of the companies mentioned in this story. He is a member of the Rule Breakers analytical team, seeking out tomorrow's great growth stocks today.
