Investing

7 Key Earnings Reports to Watch in the Week Ahead

24/7 Wall St. has put together a preview of some of the larger companies reporting their quarterly results in the middle of March. We have reviewed the consensus earnings estimates from Thomson Reuters and the stock price and trading history, as well as added some additional color on each.

Paychex

Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX) is scheduled to report its fiscal third-quarter earnings on Wednesday before the opening bell. The consensus estimates call for earnings per share (EPS) of $0.46 and $701.16 million in revenue.

The company has made a strong push on the charts since last fall. Its payroll service revenue continues to advance, and the company is continuing to see strong demand for its human resource outsourcing services.

Shares traded at $51.62 as the week came to a close. The consensus price target is $45.00, and the stock has a 52-week trading range of $39.80 to $51.70, with that high reached on Friday.

ALSO READ: 5 Stocks to Buy With Accelerating Sales and Earnings Growth

Red Hat

Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) is set to post its fiscal fourth-quarter results Wednesday after the markets close. Consensus estimates call for EPS of $0.41 and $457.30 million in revenue.

The tech firm suffered from the currency problem that presently is affecting the market, way back in December before it was an even bigger issue. The company reported revenues of $456 million for its third quarter. However Red Hat noted that revenues would have been up 18% if measured on a constant currency basis, as opposed to only 14.8%. Also, this marked 51 quarters of sequential revenue growth.

At the close of Friday’s trading session, shares were changing hands at $69.50. The consensus price target is $73.50. The 52-week trading range is $47.45 to $71.77.

Yingli

Yingli Green Energy Holding Co. Ltd. (NYSE: YGE) is scheduled to report its fourth-quarter and full-year results on Wednesday before the open. The consensus estimates call for a net loss of $0.13 per American depository share (ADS) and $591.83 million in revenue.

The Chinese solar company had mixed results in its third-quarter earnings report, and since that time it has had a rough run in the market. Perhaps the fourth quarter could be when Yingli turns it around, but this seems unlikely given that the company cut its module shipments guidance in the third quarter.

ADSs were trading at $2.39 on Friday’s close, below the consensus analyst price target of $3.37. The 52-week trading range is $1.86 to $4.88.

ALSO READ: Dream 6 Mergers That Ought to Happen

Sponsored: Find a Qualified Financial Advisor

Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to 3 fiduciary financial advisors in your area in 5 minutes. Each advisor has been vetted by SmartAsset and is held to a fiduciary standard to act in your best interests. If you’re ready to be matched with local advisors that can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.