Key Earnings To Watch This Coming Week (COOL, BBY, CPST, FNSR, JRJC, KR, PIR, RIMM, SFD)

While earnings season is over, we are still getting earnings reports from many of the off-cycle and off-quarter companies.  Some of the companies on deck to report earnings next week may actually be market-moving or sector-moving stocks for that report period.  We are looking at earnings from Majesco Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ: COOL), Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), Capstone Turbine Corporation (NASDAQ: CPST), Finisar Corporation (NASDAQ: FNSR), China Finance Online Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JRJC), Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR), Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM), and Smithfield Foods Inc. (NYSE: SFD).

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is the obvious big one, but there are others like Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) and Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) that can move their sectors and related sectors.  We have compiled data from Thomson Reuters consensus as well as shown pricing data and added color on each if applicable.

Majesco Entertainment Co. (NASDAQ: COOL) is due with earnings on Monday and this small-cap video game company has come back like a champ as it has focused on small format and “freemium” games in social media or mobile gaming.  It just this week announced an NBA format game as well.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.07 EPS and $25.5 million in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are -$0.02 EPS and $17.5 million in revenue.  Be advised that Majesco is very thin on analyst coverage so those figures may differ greatly from real results. Shares are trading around $4.08 and its 52-week range is $0.49 to $4.19 and its market cap is still only $153 million.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is due to report earnings on Tuesday and the current expectation during the slowdown looks very “Blah!” from where we sit today.  The good news is that the stock is now very cheap and it does screen out as a “value stock” even if the bias is negative ahead of earnings.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.33 EPS and $10.69 billion in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $0.54 EPS and $11.41 billion in revenue.  Shares are trading around $28.70 and its 52-week range is $28.09 to $45.63; Thomson Reuters has a consensus price target objective of almost $36.25.

Capstone Turbine Corporation (NASDAQ: CPST) is due to report on Tuesday.  This is another non-market mover and it won’t even be a sector-mover.  It is still a cult stock in the alternative and green (or less dirty) energy.  We might not even have cared, but a fresh call from FBR Capital brought attention here when it was started with an analyst rating of “Outperform.”  We would caution that it is thinly covered by Wall Street.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of -$0.03 EPS and $25.97 million in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are -$0.02 EPS and $24.7 million in revenue.  Shares are trading around $1.66 and its 52-week range is $0.62 to $2.14.

Finisar Corporation (NASDAQ: FNSR) is due to report Wednesday.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.33 EPS and $242.89 million in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $0.38 EPS and $253.9 million in revenue.  Shares are trading around $18.30 and its 52-week range is $11.98 to $46.09.  Needless to say, this one was bashed at its last earnings.  This one got hit this last week when CIENA Corporation (NASDAQ: CIEN) was hit after earnings.  Don’t quote us on this (unless it recovers), but if Finisar can meet its lowered expectations it is actually now showing up as a “value stock” for investors looking at companies that trade at under 10-times forward earnings.  Needless to say, this one has not exactly gone too well in 2011.

China Finance Online Co. Ltd. (NASDAQ: JRJC) has not escaped the China-bash trade, particularly since this company provides online financial and listed company data and information in China.  We only have one real estimate so this one is likely more of a “language” report than a “meet or beat” report. Its earnings report is due Thursday.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.06 EPS and $14.99 million in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $0.04 EPS and $15.06 million in revenue.  Shares are trading around $3.91 and its 52-week range is $3.65 to $8.59.

Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) is due to report on Thursday.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $ EPS and $ in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $ EPS and $ in revenue.  Shares are trading around $23.40 and its 52-week range is $19.56 to $25.48.  With cost pressures still persisting, the low margins are something to watch here as companies are not yet able to pass on major price hikes in retail food sales.

Pier 1 Imports Inc. (NYSE: PIR) is due Thursday.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.12 EPS and $334.96 million in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $0.13 EPS and $333.97 million in revenue.  Shares are trading around $11.05 and its 52-week range is $5.67 to $12.75.  As you should have noticed, Pier 1 is back to making money and the stock has held up fairly well since its recovery when you consider that it was an at-risk brand during the recession.

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is the Big Kahuna due to report this coming Thursday.  Needless to say, after the warnings and after the rise of Apple and Google, the expectations are low.  R-I-M is one company which could even find itself at-risk in the years ahead if the trends of today are not rectified.   Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.32 EPS and $5.15 in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $1.42 EPS and $5.51 billion in revenue.  Shares are trading around $36.75 and its 52-week range is $$36.08 to $70.54.  While this looks cheap and sounds cheap from an earnings valuation standpoint, keep in mind that many downgrades have been seen since its earnings warning.  R-I-M is likely a value trap rather than a value stock as shares have continued to slide far worse than when it first warned.  Our take… RIM should try to merge with Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK).

Smithfield Foods Inc. (NYSE: SFD) is supposed to be defensive in nature because it is food, but input costs and transportation costs have weighed on the fresh meat and packaged meat producer. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.82 EPS and $3.24 billion in revenue; the estimates for the coming quarter are $0.71 EPS and $3.23 billion in revenue.  Shares are trading around $18.95 and its 52-week range is $13.34 to $24.93.

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JON C. OGG