5 Things to Watch This Week: Facebook, Tesla, Monsanto, Food and Q2

Nobody can predict all the news that will break and move the markets in a given week, but here are a few things we do know: A controversial seed seller will report its latest quarterly results, and the world's biggest social network operator will show off its new smartphone tools. Let's go over those, and a few more of the items that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

1. Socket to Me, Electric Cars: Tesla Motors (TSLA) CEO Elon Musk is so excited about an announcement going out on Tuesday that he even took to Twitter to tease it last week.

"Really exciting @TeslaMotors announcement coming," he tweeted last week. "Am going to put my money where my mouth is in v major way."

The "v" in the tweet is probably short for "very" -- though it's not as if Musk had used up all of his 140 Twitter characters to force the shorthand. It would be a mind-blowing deal if the maker of electric cars using single letters for its models would be actually introducing a Model V sedan.

In reality, the "money where my mouth is" is probably the real giveaway here. Musk will likely either be boosting his stake in the company or making a move to improve its balance sheet.

2. Facebook Phones It In: "Come See Our New Home on Android," reads a Facebook (FB) media invitation that went out late last week. The world's largest social networking website will host analysts and tech journalists on Thursday as it introduces its new smartphone initiatives.

Don't hold out for the long-rumored Facebook Phone. It's not going to happen. It would be devastating to the Facebook brand if it flopped. The more popular theory here is that Facebook will just work with existing mobile operating systems to make them more Facebook-centric.

Android is the mobile platform of choice, commanding the lion's share of the world's smartphone market. If Facebook can find ways to be a larger part of the smartphone experience it will naturally be in its best interest.

3. Let's Get It Going in the Second Quarter, Team: The second quarter kicks in this week following a surprisingly robust first quarter. The S&P 500 has cranked out a healthy 10 percent gain so far this year.

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Three months ago, it didn't seem as if it would play out that way. The fiscal cliff loomed in late December, and moves to avert the automatic spending cuts proved temporary once sequestration kicked in two months later. The end of the two-year stimulus break on payroll taxes collected meant less take-home pay for consumers.

But confidence has been surprisingly buoyant. The second quarter is unlikely to live up to the first quarter's performance. A 10 percent pop would be considered a good run for an entire year -- much less a quarter. However, at least the second quarter begins with favorable momentum after a quarter that led the Dow Jones Industrial Average and eventually the S&P 500 to new highs.

4. Monsanto Harvests Quarterly Results: Monsanto (MON) is one of the more controversial companies on Wall Street.
Farmers swear by the agribusiness giant, which offers biotech seeds and advanced traits and technologies that help farmlands yield more bountiful crops. However, critics say that Monsanto's introduction of genetically modified crops into the food supply is dangerous.

There are plenty of arguments to be made on both sides of the GMO debate, but this week will be Monsanto's chance to shine. It reports its quarterly results on Wednesday, and the market is holding out for growth. Analysts see revenue and earnings climbing 11 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

5. More Food for Thought: The first week of any new quarter is typically slow on the earnings front, but Monsanto is joined by two less controversial food-related companies reporting.

ConAgra (CAG) and McCormick (MKC) will be stepping up with fresh financials. McCormick is a staple in most spice racks across the country, and it reports on Tuesday. ConAgra follows on Wednesday.

ConAgra may not be a household name, but consumers will recognize many of its brands including Chef Boyardee canned pastas, Hunt's ketchup bottles, Peter Pan peanut butter jars, and Hebrew National hot dogs.

Wall Street sees improving profitability at both companies, but let's see how the market digests those results.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz has no position in any stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Facebook, McCormick, and Tesla Motors . The Motley Fool owns shares of Facebook and Tesla Motors. Try any of our newsletter services free for 30 days.