Earnings Expectations for the Week of March 4

Now that Congress and the White House have failed to reach a deal to avoid the federal budget sequester, and with the jobs report coming out on Friday, the attention this week is likely to be elsewhere, rather than on earnings, which have slowed to dribble.A few lingering retail earnings reports are due this week. The most prominent are from American Eagle Outfitters (NYSE: AEO), Kroger (NYSE: KR) and Staples (NYSE: SPLS), which are featured below. But analysts also expect to see year-over-year earnings growth from Big Lots (NYSE: BIG), Foot Locker (NYSE: FL), Fresh Market (NYSE: TFM), Genesco (NYSE: GCO) and PetSmart (NYSE: PETM) this week as well.On deck the following week are Aeropostale (NYSE: ARO), Costco Wholesale (NASDAQ: COST), Urban Outfitters (NYSE: URBN) and a few other retailers.American Eagle OutfittersAnnual growth in per-share earnings of more than 36 percent are expected for this apparel retailer's fourth quarter and full fiscal year, to $0.56 and $1.40, respectively. And note that the consensus earnings per share (EPS) estimates for both periods have remained unchanged in the past 60 days.Revenues are forecast to have risen year-over-year by more than seven percent to $1.12 billion for the quarter and about 10 percent to $3.48 billion for the full year. American Eagle Outfitters reports Wednesday before the markets open.KrogerFourth-quarter earnings from this Cincinnati-based supermarket operator are forecast to come to $0.70 per share in Thursday morning's report, while revenues totaled $24.04 billion. In the same quarter of last year, the company beat EPS estimates when it posted $0.50 per share on $21.41 billion in revenues.Analysts on average expect to see $2.46 EPS on revenue of $96.37 billion for the full year. In the previous year, EPS were $2.00 while revenues totaled $90.37 billion. That EPS estimate, like the quarterly one, is unchanged in the past 60 days.StaplesLeading office products company Staples is expected to report Wednesday morning that for its fourth quarter it had a profit of $0.45 per share. That would be up from $0.41 per share in the same period of the previous year. And analysts on average expect quarterly revenues to total $6.72 billion, which would about four percent higher than a year ago.The full-year forecast calls for EPS flat year-over-year at $1.38, as well as revenues that are less than two percent lower to $24.68 billion. That consensus earnings estimate, like the quarterly one, is unchanged in the past 60 days.Brown-FormanIn its report Wednesday morning, this Louisville, Kentucky-based maker of Jack Daniel's is expected to report earnings of $0.70 per share for the fiscal third quarter. That would be up about 17 percent higher than in the same period of a year ago. Brown-Forman (NYSE: BF-B) exceeded the consensus quarterly EPS estimates in the previous two quarters, but fell short in the two before that.Quarterly revenues are forecast to total $1.03 billion, which would be more than seven percent higher than a year ago. And thus far, analysts expect revenues to be up more than seven percent in the current quarter as well, but for EPS to be only marginally higher.Smith & Wesson The recent wrangling over gun control changes has shone light on this firearms maker. Smith & Wesson (NASDAQ: SWHC) is expected to report Tuesday afternoon that it saw a profit of $0.23 per share for its fiscal third quarter. That would be more than 69 percent higher year-over-year. Per-share earnings matched analyst estimates in the previous quarter.The consensus revenue forecast calls for $138.36 million for the quarter. That would be up more than 36 percent relative to the year-ago period. And analysts so far expect revenues for the current quarter to be more than 19 percent higher, as well as for EPS to be up about 10 percent.Add OthersOther companies set to share their results this week include medical device maker Cooper Companies (NYSE: COO) and Vail Resorts (NYSE: MTN), which are forecast to post higher EPS and revenues, relative to a year ago. Meat producer Smithfield Foods (NYSE: SFD) is expected to report an earnings decline.Net losses are anticipated from Ciena (NASDAQ: CIEN), E-commerce China Dangdang (NYSE: DANG), James River Coal (NASDAQ: JRCC), H&R Block (NYSE: HRB) and homebuilder Hovanian Enterprises (NYSE: HOV).