Top Earnings Previews For Wednesday (AKAM, CSCO, CSC, ENB, GRPN, IM, ICE, LVLT, MCO, NWSA, PNG, PAA, PRU, RL, RAI, S, TWX, VICL, V, WFM)

We are entering into the last waves of the normalized quarterly earnings reports for companies with December 31 quarter-end dates, and we are entering the first waves of the earnings reports from companies with off-normal quarter-ends.  Wednesday is going to be another busy day with many earnings.

The earnings previews are for the following: Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM); Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML); Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO); Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE: CSC); Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB); Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN); Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM); IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (NYSE: ICE); Level 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT); Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO); News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA); PAA Natural Gas Storage L.P. (NYSE: PNG); Plains All American Pipeline L.P. (NYSE: PAA); Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU); Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL); Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI); Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S); Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX); Vical Inc. (NASDAQ: VICL); Visa Inc. (NYSE: V); and Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM).

We have compiled earnings preview on each company using Thomson Reuters consensus estimates and added color on each if applicable.  Some are market moving, some are sector moving, and some are just interesting for traders to watch around the earnings reports.

Akamai Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: AKAM) has estimates of $0.40 EPS and $311.26 million in revenues.

Atmel Corporation (NASDAQ: ATML) has estimates of $0.09 EPS and $401.5 million in revenues.    Growth is gone, but it still screens as value.

Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) has estimates of $0.43 EPS and $11.23 billion in revenues.  Preliminary preview notes are available.

Computer Sciences Corporation (NYSE: CSC) has estimates of $0.58 EPS and $3.98 billion in revenues.  As a reminder, CSC has warned on earnings.  This one shows up as a value stock in all sorts of investor screens but it is a value trap.

Enbridge Inc. (NYSE: ENB) has estimates of $0.40 EPS.  Shares just hit a new 52-week high on Tuesday.

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ: GRPN) has estimates of $0.03 EPS and $475.15 million in revenues.  Groupon will have its first earnings as a public company.  Needless to say, you can imagine just how high some of the comments are going to be about annualized valuations here.

Ingram Micro Inc. (NYSE: IM) has estimates of $0.56 EPS and $9.71 billion in revenues.  Has anyone asked why Ingram pays no dividend despite what would otherwise be a low valuation?

IntercontinentalExchange Inc. (NYSE: ICE) has estimates of $1.69 EPS and $325.93 million in revenues. Does the failed NYSE-Deutsche exchange merger matter here?

Level 3 Communications Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT) has estimates of -$1.06 EPS and $1.63 billion in revenues.  Level 3 is still trying to sell itself as a EBITDA story and is expected to lose money for the periods ahead as well.

Moody’s Corporation (NYSE: MCO) has estimates of $0.48 EPS and $567.33 million in revenues.  The ratings agency is up almost 50% from a year low and the stock is within 10% of a year high as well.

News Corp. (NASDAQ: NWSA) has estimates of $0.34 EPS and $8.94 billion in revenues.

PAA Natural Gas Storage L.P. (NYSE: PNG) has estimates of $0.24 EPS and $41.64 million in revenues.

Plains All American Pipeline L.P. (NYSE: PAA) has estimates of $1.50 EPS and $9.2 billion in revenues.

Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU) has estimates of $1.76 EPS and $10.2 billion in revenues.

Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL) has estimates of $1.67 EPS and $1.75 billion in revenues.

Reynolds American Inc. (NYSE: RAI) has estimates of $0.69 EPS and $2.12 billion in revenues.

Sprint Nextel Corporation (NYSE: S) has estimates of -$0.37 EPS and $8.689 billion in revenues. We have more details here with more preview and secondary and tertiary information.

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) has estimates of $0.87 EPS and $8.07 billion in revenues.

Vical Inc. (NASDAQ: VICL) has estimates of -$0.12 EPS.  We are not caring about the earnings but about its cancer trials and any new word on that front along with its cash burn rate.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) has estimates of $1.45 EPS and $2.47 billion in revenues. Shares are within 1 percent of a 52-week high.  Visa still out-yields in its dividend of only 0.8% against rival Mastercard even after the rival doubled its payout today.

Whole Foods Market Inc. (NASDAQ: WFM) has estimates of $0.60 EPS and $3.38 billion in revenues.  The grocery chain is more like a luxury brand than a grocer per its stock valuation (33.5-times forward 2012 earnings estimates). With shares close to $76.00, the 52-week range is $52.52 to $78.29.

JON C. OGG