Earnings Expectations: Little Excitement For Bed Bath & Beyond And Monsanto

While we have turned the calendar page on a new year, the fourth-quarter reporting season does not begin until mid-January, when the likes of Alcoa, Intel and the first big banks take their turns in the earnings spotlight. Yet there are a few off-season

reports expected this week. Among them, results from

will be mixed, if the consensus estimates from Wall Street are on target. And expectations are low for

, which is also on tap to share its latest results this week. Other highlights for the week include reports due from homebuilder

and retailer

, for which expectations are somewhat higher. Those expectations are featured in a separate report. Below is a quick look at what is expected from the reports of Bed Bath & Beyond and Monsanto, as well as a peek at some others.

Wall Street's fiscal third-quarter forecast for this domestics retailer calls for earnings per share (EPS) to have slipped by a dime year-over-year to $1.09. Yet 28 Estimize respondents predict it will be higher at $1.15. Note that both estimates have slipped a bit in the past week. Revenue fell short of consensus forecasts in the previous period. This time, Estimize is looking for about $3.01 billion, a bit more optimistic than the $2.98 billion Wall Street expects, which would be about a 1 percent rise year on year. The company is scheduled to report January 7 after the closing bell.

The Wall Street forecast for this agri-chemicals giant calls for a net loss of $0.22 per share and for revenue to have fallen more than 16 percent year-over-year to $2.41 billion. Note that company guidance suggests the per-share net loss will fall between $0.23 and $0.33 for the fiscal first quarter. The 18 Estimize respondents believe revenue for the three months that ended in November will be about $2.84 billion. But back in the previous quarter, Estimize, like Wall Street, overestimated revenue. Monsanto will post its latest financial results before regular trading commences on January 6.

This week, at least some growth on the bottom line is coming from Constellation Brands, KB Home, Sonic and Walgreens, if Wall Street expectations come true. But a decline in earnings is forecast for Commercial Metals, while Finish Line is expected to post a net loss. And looking ahead, Alcoa is scheduled to take its turn on the earnings stage on January 11. Intel is expected to report on January 14, the same day as JPMorgan, while reports from Citigroup and Wells Fargo are due on January 15. Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following

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