Stocks Forecasts

Delta Air Lines Inc (NYSE: DAL) is expected to report its Q2 EPS at $0.47 on revenue of $9.16 billion. Gannett Co Inc (NYSE: GCI) is projected to report its Q2 EPS at $0.57 on revenue of $1.33 billion. Brown & Brown Inc (NYSE: BRO) is expected to post its Q2 EPS at $0.31 on revenue of $257.92 million. International Business Machines Corp (NYSE: IBM) is projected to report its Q2 EPS at $3.03 on revenue of $25.35 billion. Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) is estimated to report its Q2 EPS at $0.73 on revenue of $5.69 billion. Packaging Corporation of America (NYSE: PKG) is projected to post its Q2 EPS at $0.35 on revenue of $632.21 million. Check Point Software Technologies Ltd (NASDAQ: CHKP) is expected to report its Q2 EPS at $0.66 on revenue of $295.93 million. Charles Schwab Corporation (The) (NYSE: SCHW) is estimated to report its Q2 EPS at $0.20 on revenue of $1.20 billion. ICU Medical Inc (NASDAQ: ICUI) is projected to report its...

Some of the stocks that may grab investor focus today are: Wall Street expects International Business Machines Corp (NYSE: IBM) to report its Q2 EPS at $3.03 on revenue of $25.35 billion. IBM shares gained 0.49% to $176.40 in after-hours trading. Analysts are expecting Charles Schwab Corporation (The) (NYSE: SCHW) to have earned $0.20 per share on revenue of $1.20 billion in the second quarter. SCHW shares rose 0.40% to $15.07 in the after-hours trading session. Activist investor Carl Icahn offered to buy Clorox Co (NYSE: CLX) for $76.50 per share in cash, representing a 12% premium to Thursday's closing price. CLX shares dropped 0.24% to $74.37 in after-hours trading. Analysts expect Halliburton Company (NYSE: HAL) to report its Q2 EPS at $0.73 on revenue of $5.69 billion. HAL shares climbed 0.79% to $53.50 in the after-hours trading session. Gannett Co Inc (NYSE: GCI) is projected to report its Q2 EPS at $0.57 on revenue of $1.33 billion.   

Under Armour, Inc. (UA) has posted huge gains in the last year, recently hitting a new all-time high on a 21% earnings surprise. That and bullish estimates have this Zacks #1 Rank stock running with momentum. Company Description Under Armour, Inc. develops and sells a line of performance athletic apparel and footwear for men, woman and children primarily in the United States and Canada. The company was founded in 1996 and has a market cap of $4.03 billion. Under Armour has been a strong performer in 2011, recently hitting a new high after reporting solid Q1 results in late April that included a 21% earnings surprise. First-Quarter Results Revenue for the period was up 36% from last year to $313 million. Earnings also looked good, coming in at 23 cents, 21% ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the company has an average earnings surprise of 47% over the last four quarters. The company saw big gains from its direct-to-consumer channel, where sales were up 53%...

Stocks trading at or near 52-week highs and lows provide excellent trading opportunities, as volatility tends to increase at such levels. The following stocks hit new 52-week highs in Monday's trading session (listed from highest total volume to lowest): 1) BioSante Pharmaceuticals (NASDAQ: BPAX): Shares of BioSante hit a 52-week high of $3.84 in Monday's trading session. The stock closed at $3.62. The year-to-date performance of BioSante has been a gain of 198%. 2) Arch Chemicals (NYSE: ARJ): Shares of Arch Chemicals hit a 52-week high of $47.75 in Monday's trading session. The stock closed at $47.37. The year-to-date performance of Arch Chemicals has been a gain of 25.6%. 3) Coffee Holding (NASDAQ: JVA): Shares of Coffee Holding hit a 52-week high of $30.98 in Monday's trading session. The stock closed at $29.35. The year-to-date performance of Coffee Holding has been a gain of 693%. 4) Hansen Medical (NASDAQ: HNSN): Shares of Hansen Medical hit a 52-week high of $4.84 in Monday's trading session. The...

The department store is very much alive. Macy's, Inc. (M) just raised second quarter and full year sales guidance following a much stronger than expected June. This Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) is still a value stock even as shares trade at new 52-week highs. Macy's operates 850 department stores under the brands Macy's and Bloomingdale's in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. It also is an online retailer using the websites macys.com and bloomingdales.com. Sales Jumped 7.5% in June On July 7, Macy's released its June sales figures and saw same-store sales jump 6.7% which was much higher than the consensus of retail analysts of 5.1%. Total sales rose 7.5% to $2.2 billion. The growth was spread across the company in both stores and in both online sites. Online sales were especially hot, climbing 45% in June. They're up 39.6% for the year. However, the online sales are included in the overall sales numbers and not otherwise broken out so it's hard...

Novellus Systems (NASDAQ: NVLS) will be reporting its second-quarter 2011 results Monday, July 11, after the closing bell. While Novellus is not usually a sector mover, investors will be looking for early signs of what to expect from tech sector earnings. Analysts are looking for Novellus to report per-share earnings of $0.76, which is up from $0.67 per share in the same period of last year. The consensus earnings estimate is unchanged in the past 60 days. Analysts also expect to see revenues of $352.3 million, an increase of 9.6% from a year ago. Note that Novellus earnings have grown in each of the past five quarters, topping consensus estimates each time. And analysts so far are looking for full-year EPS to be 15.4% higher than a year ago and revenues to come in 11.1% higher. The Company Novellus Systems develops, manufactures, sells and supports equipment used in the fabrication of integrated circuits. The San Jose, California-based company operates in two segments: the Semiconductor...

The euro is in retreat on Wednesday, as Portugal begins to look a lot more like Greece. At the moment, the euro lost 0.48% of its value against the U.S. dollar to trade around $1.4360. At the same time, the European currency surrendered even more value to the Japanese yen, falling 0.63% to ¥116.22. The euro was hit hard as Moody's downgraded Portugal's debt to junk. The rating agency cited concerns that Portugal will find it harder to borrow money in open markets and will be, therefore, forced to ask for another bailout. Portugal was the third Eurozone member to be forced to ask for a bailout, after Greece and Ireland. Its government was forced to resign after it was unable to pass through the parliament another round of austerity cuts. It seems as if Moody's remains unconvinced that the new center-right government is more able and willing to push through difficult and unpopular reforms it views as essential in restoring...

Who says the paper industry can't be glamorous? Kadant Inc. (KAI) is trading near multi-year highs as earnings are expected to jump by over 50% in 2011. This Zacks #1 Rank (strong buy) is also a value stock, with a forward P/E of 14.6. Kadant supplies technology-based systems to the global pulp and paper industries through fluid handling which transfer fluids, steam or air between rotating cylinders and fixed piping, doctoring which involves cleaning roll surfaces to keep machines running, and water-management equipment designed to clean fabrics. Some of its businesses have been in operation for over 100 years. The company has employees in 16 countries. No Surprise...But Kadant Surprised Again in Q1 On Apr 27, Kadant reported first quarter results and, surprise!, beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the 20th consecutive time. It is an impressive earnings surprise history going back 5 years. Very few companies were able to keep their earnings surprise streaks alive during the Great Recession. Check out the rare perfect score...

Neenah Paper, Inc. (NP) has seen big gains over the last year, currently lingering directly below its recent 52-week high at $23.75. With an average earnings surprise of 31% over the last four quarters and estimates on the rise, this Zacks #1 stock is a solid pick for growth. Company Description Neenah Paper, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, produces and sells fine papers and various technical paper products worldwide. The company was founded in 2004 and has a market cap of $324 million. As a small capper with a strong earnings growth, NP has seen big gains over the last year, with shares more than doubling from $10 to $23. That strong growth was on display in early May when the company reported another strong quarter that came in ahead of expectations. First-Quarter Results Revenue for the period was up 3% from last year to $173 million. Earnings also came in strong at 54 cents, 29% ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate, where the company...

Textainer Group Holdings Limited (TGH) saw 52% earnings growth in 2010 as demand for containers outpaced supply. Double digit earnings growth is expected again in 2011. This Zacks #2 Rank (buy) is the largest lessor of intermodal containers in the world based on fleet size. It leases dry freight, refrigerated and specialized containers to more than 400 shipping lines. The company also sells used containers to more than 1,000 customers around the world. Expansion of Its Fleet On May 16, Textainer announced it had purchased about 171,000 TEU of containers and related lease rights that it had already been managing for Buss Global Container Fonds 1 Partnership since 2006. The majority of the containers are dry freight and will increase the dry freight percentage of Textainer's own fleet to 59% from 52% of its total fleet. It closed for a price of $174 million. Revenue Jumped 31% in the First Quarter On May 5, Textainer reported its first quarter results and saw revenue rise to $91.2 million from...