Earnings Expectations For The Week Of January 6: Alcoa And More

Quarterly reports from

have long been considered the kickoff to a new earnings season, though its role may become less relevant now that it has been dropped from the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Along with Alcoa,

,

,

and others will take their turns in the earnings spotlight this week. Below is a quick look at what analysts expect from some of this week's most prominent quarterly reports.

In its report late Thursday, this aluminum producer is expected to post per-share earnings of $0.05 for its most recent quarter, compared with a profit of $0.06 per share in the year-ago period. Note that the New York-based company exceeded consensus EPS expectations by about 120 percent in the previous period. Quarterly revenues are predicted to have fallen about eight percent year-over-year to $5.43 billion. So far, revenue for the current quarter is expected to be more than five percent lower, relative to the same period of last year.

The forecast for Phoenix-based

calls for EPS of $0.90 and for revenues to total $860.58 million for the most recent quarter. That would be down from $1.22 per share and $1.06 billion in sales in the year-ago period. Note that the consensus EPS forecast has ticked down by a penny in the past 30 days, though the company has easily topped expectations in recent quarters. Apollo Education Group is scheduled to share its results Tuesday after the markets close.

Analysts expect

to post earnings of $1.15 per share for its fiscal third quarter, up from $1.03 per share a year ago. Also, revenues for the quarter are estimated to total $2.89 billion, which would be almost seven percent higher than a year ago. The analysts seem certain, as their consensus EPS estimate has not changed in the past 60 days. And they expect sequential and year-over-year growth of both EPS and revenue in the current quarter. Look for the New Jersey-based retailer to share its results Wednesday after the closing bell.

Fiscal first-quarter earnings from this maker of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) products are expected to come to $0.44 per share, on $3.71 billion in revenue, in Tuesday afternoon's report. In the same period of the previous year, the company reported a net loss of $0.27 per share and sales of $1.83 billion. However, Micron Technologies fell short of EPS expectations in three of the previous four quarters. But the consensus estimate for the most recent quarter is up two cents in the past 60 days. So far, sequential growth in EPS and revenue are forecast for the current quarter.

The maker of Roundup brand products is forecast to report earnings of $0.64 per share in Wednesday morning's report. That would be up from the $0.62 per share in the year-ago period. Note that the company fell short of consensus EPS expectations by more than nine percent the previous quarter. Monsanto also is expected to say that revenues came to $3.08 billion in the fiscal first quarter, which would be higher than a year ago by less than five percent. So far, sales and earnings results for the current quarter are expected to be higher, both sequentially and year over year.

When it shares its results Thursday morning, this supermarket operator is expected to say per-share earnings rose about 77 percent from a year ago to $0.13. Note that earnings were better than expected in the previous two periods, though they fell short in the two periods before that. However, the fiscal third quarter forecast also calls for revenues for the quarter to be almost 49 percent lower than a year ago to $4.05 billion. Analysts thus far are looking for marginal growth in sales for the current quarter, but full-year revenue that is about the same as last year.

Analysts also are looking for earnings growth this week from AZZ, Constellation Brands, Global Payments, Greenbrier Companies and Sonic. EPS from Family Dollar and Infosys Technologies are predicted to be about the same as a year ago. But IHS is expected to show a year-over-year decline in per-share earnings. And analysts are looking for Ruby Tuesday to post a net loss for the most recent quarter. The new earnings season really kicks into gear the following week, with reports due from Goldman Sachs, Intel, J.P. Morgan and many others. Keep up with all the latest breaking news and trading ideas by following us on

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