Filed under: Company News, Apple, Earnings, Investing
Monday -- One Word: Plastics
It's a slow week on the earnings front, but one company stepping up with fresh financials on Monday is A. Schulman (SHLM). The supplier of high-performance plastic compounds and resins is expected to post flattish results for its fiscal second quarter. Analysts see earnings climbing 2 percent from a year earlier, but they also see revenue taking a 2 percent step back.
Tuesday -- Shaming Shamu
There will be a change at the helm of SeaWorld (SEAS) on Tuesday, as Joel Manby comes over from Herschend Enterprises to be the theme park operator's next CEO. SeaWorld can use the new outsider perspective.
Activists' criticism of SeaWorld for keeping orcas in captivity has resonated with the public. Attendance has fallen in back-to-back years, and even music festival performers dropped out last year under boycott pressures.
Manby has been successful at Herschend, the privately held operator behind Dollywood and Silver Dollar City. He'll be going from a respected family-friendly chain to one stuck in brand-eroding notoriety. It's the ultimate challenge.
Wednesday -- There's No Place Like Home
We'll get a good snapshot of the state of home furnishings on Wednesday as Bed Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and Pier 1 Imports (PIR) report results for their holiday quarters. Both retailers were major beneficiaries during the early days of the housing market's recovery. Folks were buying and selling houses again, and that was an ideal time to spring for a new Pier 1 sofa or shower curtains at Bed Bath & Beyond.
Growth has slowed these days, and analysts see both chains growing sales at a 5 percent to 6 percent clip compared to the prior year's holiday quarter. The bigger challenge for the two retailers will be how things pan out on the way down to the bottom line. Pier 1 and Bed Bath & Beyond have missed Wall Street's profit forecasts in two of the past three quarters.
Thursday -- Hello, Ruby Tuesday
One of casual dining's biggest laggards has been Ruby Tuesday (RT). It's been a rough few years for the restaurant chain and its shareholders. It's been suffering through declining business, poorly received makeovers, and the shuttering of underperforming locations.
Ruby Tuesday is coming off four years of annual losses. It's not a surprise that the market's bracing for another quarterly deficit on declining sales on Thursday.
Friday -- Watch This Space
It will be a big day for Apple (AAPL) as the consumer electronics giant begins taking preorders for its new Apple Watch. Smartwatches haven't been big sellers so far, but things have a way of changing once the class act of Cupertino steps into the game.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of SeaWorld Entertainment. The Motley Fool recommends Apple and Bed Bath & Beyond. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Is your portfolio ready for what 2015 has to offer? Check out our free report for one great stock to buy for this year and beyond.
