Filed under: Company News, Retail, Market News, Industry News, Stock Exchanges, Investing
From a holiday that’s typically huge for multiplex operators missing out on one of its slated releases to shoppers checking off items on their holiday gift lists, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.
Monday — Prime Office Space
The quiet and abridged holiday trading week kicks off with Steelcase (SCS) reporting quarterly results. Steelcase is a leading provider of office furniture and other corporate furnishings, making it a great gauge for the state of corporate America.
Analysts see revenue climbing just 5 percent relative to last year’s fiscal third quarter, but at least that’s better than the slight decline in profitability that Wall Street is forecasting.
Monday will also be notable for holiday shoppers. It’s the last day for Amazon.com (AMZN) shoppers — at least the tens of millions who are Amazon Prime members — to place orders for free two-day shipping for items they want to arrive before Christmas.
Tuesday — Drugstore Cowboy
Walgreen (WAG) is one of the few companies reporting this week. The drugstore chain checks in on Tuesday.
Wall Street’s holding out modest top- and bottom-line growth here. The pros see revenue climbing 6 percent. They also see a profit of 75 cents a share, just ahead of the 72 cents a share it posted a year earlier. Shareholders will naturally be holding out for more, but it’s worth noting that it’s been more than a year since the last time that Walgreen topped analyst profit targets.
Wednesday — Last-Minute Shopping
The country’s major market exchanges will close three hours early in observance of Christmas Eve on Wednesday. Trading volume will be light, and there shouldn’t be a lot of financial news breaking. One place that won’t be quiet is the local mall, where shoppers will be stocking up on any last-minute gifts.
Thursday — Blown Interview
Christmas Day is a big day for new movies. Studios with Oscar-worthy films prefer to debut their movies toward the end of the year so they qualify for awards while still being fresh in the minds of viewers.
One movie that was supposed to open on Christmas Day with little hope for Oscar buzz was “The Interview,” but Sony (SNE) buckled after movie theaters backed out of showing the movie, taking hacker threats of violence seriously.
Friday — Fed Up
The market is open on Friday, but it’s going to be another day of light trading. A few weeks ago Friday was declared to be a holiday for federal workers, giving the market yet another reason not to be very active.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends and owns shares of Amazon.com. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Check out The Motley Fool’s free report for one great stock to buy for 2015 and beyond.
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Source: Investing
