Wall Street This Week: Time for Apple to Shine; Binge on Netflix

From a weeklong software conference by a tech gian to the country's leading streaming video service rolling out another exclusive series, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.

Monday -- Apple Jacked

Apple's (AAPL) annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off on Monday, hosting software developers through Friday. There has already been chatter about Apple introducing a platform to run smart home applications, and there's also talk about Apple launching an electronic payment platform.

At the very least this will be Apple's week to woo developers that find Android gaining market share at the expense of iOS. There's plenty at stake as Apple gears up to introduce what many believe will be a new iPhone with a larger screen later this year.

Tuesday -- Bucking the Trend

It isn't easy to push a bargain these days. We've seen the major havens of thrift post disappointing financial results. Walmart (WMT) posted five consecutive quarters of negative comparable-store sales. McDonald's (MCD) has seen comps decline for three straight quarters.

It is against this backdrop that Dollar General (DG) reports quarterly results on Tuesday. The discounter with more than 11,000 stores is expected to buck the trend, posting modest sales and earnings growth for its fiscal quarter ending in April.

Wednesday -- Real Estate Gets Real

It's a good time to be a homebuilder. The money that consumers are willing to pay for new digs is growing at a faster clip than the costs to develop new properties. This has resulted in healthy profits for the homebuilders.

Hovnanian Enterprises (HOV) was one of the biggest victims of the real estate market's collapse. It went on to post a couple of years of losses, finally turning the corner last year. It's expected to build on that when it reports on Wednesday with revenue climbing 13 percent, and profitability growing even faster.

Thursday -- Baggage Check

Vera Bradley (VRA) is best known for its colorful luggage, handbags and accessories, but the stock itself has done a fair bit of traveling on its own.

Vera Bradley went public four years ago at $16. A year later it was trading north of $52, but it has gone on to shed nearly half of its value. It will get another chance to move on Friday when it reports

Friday -- Now Streaming

Netflix (NFLX) has carved a cozy living tethering itself to successful original properties. The trend started slowly with "Lilyhammer" two years ago, accelerating nicely last year when "House of Cards" and the return of "Arrested Development" turned heads.

%VIRTUAL-article-sponsoredlinks%"Orange Is the New Black," the prison drama with a wicked sense of humor, has become another Netflix hit. It's the handiwork of "Weeds" creator Jenji Kohan, and it returns for a second season on Friday. True to Netflix's binge-viewing mantra, all of the episodes will be available immediately.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, McDonald's and Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple and Netflix.