Wall Street This Week: Microsoft Surfaces, Monsanto Plants
From the world's largest software company introducing new mobile gadgetry to a controversial agricultural chemicals giant posting its latest quarterly results, here are some of the things that will help shape the week that lies ahead on Wall Street.
Monday -- What's in the Box?
The new trading week kicks off with The Container Store (TCS) posting quarterly results. The chain of 74 superstores that sell storage and organization products has been slumping lately. The stock hit yet another new low last week, and the shares have surrendered two-thirds of their value since peaking early last year.
The Container Store isn't the only retailer specializing in housewares to be struggling these days, but that's not much of a consolation for investors regretting buying into The Container Store when it went public in 2013.
Tuesday -- Mr. Softy and Big Mac Daddy
It's going to be a busy Tuesday. It's the day that McDonald's (MCD) goes national with its limited breakfast menu that will be available all day long. It should help boost sales for the world's largest burger chain, and that's huge since in-store traffic has been sluggish for the past two years.
%VIRTUAL-WSSCourseInline-1023%Microsoft (MSFT) should also be making waves. The world's largest software company has scheduled a media event where it's widely expected to introduce the Surface Pro 4 as well as several new Lumia smartphones. Microsoft still relies on software for most of its business, but with PC sales shrinking, it's hard to argue against its move to diversify into mobile hardware.
Wednesday -- Putting the 'Oh' in GMO
Monsanto (MON) reports fresh financials Wednesday. The agricultural chemicals giant is spritzed in controversy. Critics argue that genetically modified organisms -- or GMOs -- are harmful when introduced into our food supply. Fans counter that most studies debunk those claims, and that chemically enhanced harvests have helped curb world hunger by making crops more productive.
Analysts see Monsanto serving up a small deficit, but that's not a reason to panic. This is a seasonal business, and Monsanto has historically posted a loss during its summer quarter, more than making up for that with healthy profitability during the balance of the year.
Thursday -- Pie Hole
On Thursday, it will be Domino's Pizza (DPZ) letting us know how much dough it made in its latest quarter. This is a highly competitive market, but Domino's is making it work. Analysts are holding out for a profit of 74 cents a share, well ahead of the 63 cents a share it posted a year earlier.
Friday -- Streaming for the Kids
Netflix (NFLX) has been fortunate enough to help bankroll some pretty popular original shows. "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black" are just some of the hit shows that have helped grow Netflix to 65.5 million streaming subscribers worldwide.
It hasn't been as successful with kid-friendly fare. It teamed up with DreamWorks Animation (DWA) for several shows that have aired exclusively on the leading premium video service, but it's still waiting for that one magnetic hit that we can call "House of Cards" for kids. Netflix and DreamWorks Animation will give it another shot Friday when "The New Mr. Peabody and Sherman Show" debuts on the streaming site. Yes, it's based on the old Jay Ward series and eventual movie. We'll see if having familiar characters helps draw young kids and perhaps their nostalgic parents.
Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Netflix and The Container Store Group. The Motley Fool owns shares of Microsoft and recommends DreamWorks Animation. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days and check out our free report for one great stock to buy for 2015 and beyond.
