Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is due Thursday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for big-oil and the largest company in America by market cap of $1.39 EPS and $98.11 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.45 EPS and $98.58 billion in revenues.  With shares at $66.54, Exxon shares have recovered from under $60 at the August lows and from about $57 from the summer-lows.  Still, the
52-week range is $55.94 to $76.54 and the market cap is around $338 billion.  Analysts have an average price target of $73.57.  The key that investors are likely to focus on is its natural gas integration of XTO.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) is hard to call between the earnings due Thursday and the current merger  premium.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.15 EPS and $1.32 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.36 EPS and $1.43 billion in revenues.  With shares at $143.10, the market cap is roughly $42.4 billion despite having slid from $150 over concerns that the acquisition will be blocked.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is due this Thursday after the close.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for America’s largest solar player of $1.94 EPS and $778.2 million in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.66 EPS and $635.7 million in revenues.  With shares at $147.50, the stock has recovered some from fresh lows and is back at being close enough to challenge the $150 mark.  Higher oil, a flood of solar companies announcing contracts, and the company’s rough guidance have all helped support shares here.  The market cap is roughly $12.6 billion and analysts have an average price target of $151.68 as of Monday.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is expected to report earnings Thursday after the close.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the largest software utility of $0.55 EPS and $15.81 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.68 EPS and $19.01 billion in revenues.  With shares at $25.31, this is till dead money and investors are awaiting all the buyback and dividend trends ahead.  The market cap is about $219 billion and the average analyst price target is still just over $32.00.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is set to report its earnings on Friday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the oil giant of $2.15 EPS and $49.48 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $2.25 EPS and $52.58 billion in revenues.  With shares at $85.11, the stock’s 52-week range is $66.83 to $85.79 now that a new 52-week high was just hit this Monday.  The average analyst price target is now $93.47 and the market cap is $171 billion.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is the last of the DJIA components and earnings come Friday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the drug giant of $0.82 EPS and $11.23 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.85 EPS and $11.61 billion in revenues.  With shares at $37.50, the 52-week range is $30.29 to $41.56.  The market cap for the drug giant is $115 billion and analysts have an average price target of roughly $41.86.

You can join our free daily email distribution list to hear more about dividend trends, analyst upgrades and downgrades, top day trader and active trader alerts, news on Buffett and other investment gurus, IPOs, secondary offerings, private equity, and more.

JON C. OGG