This Week's Top Earnings Reports & Previews (DD, X, CMCSA, COP, PG, MMM, DOW, XOM, POT, FSLR, MSFT, CVX, MRK)

Earnings season is in full swing and is peaking this week in the frequency of market moving and sector moving companies reporting quarterly results.  There are several DJIA components reporting earnings along with several other companies which are as important to the investment community.  We have previews for EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD), United States Steel Corp. (NYSE: X), Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA), ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG), 3M Co. (NYSE: MMM), The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW), Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM), Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT), First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT), Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX), and Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK).  We have compiled detailed estimates from Thomson Reuters, shown relative price data, and added in other color where applicable on each.

EI DuPont de Nemours & Co. (NYSE: DD), or DuPont, reports Tuesday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.34 EPS and $6.76 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.30 EPS and $6.70 billion in revenues.  With shares at $47.84, the stock just hit a new 52-week high ahead of earnings.  The average price target from analysts is $49.36, the market cap is about $46 billion, and the new 52-week range is $31.02 to $47.98.

US Steel Corp. (NYSE: X) is also reporting Tuesday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the steel giant of $0.23 EPS and $4.53 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.27 EPS and $4.46 billion in revenues.  The market cap is ‘only’ about $6.1 billion and analysts have an average price target of about $56.80. With shares at $42.38, the 52-week trading range is $33.25 to $70.95.

Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA) reports earnings Wednesday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.30 EPS and $9.36 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.32 EPS and $9.53 billion in revenues.  With shares at $19.82, the 52-week trading range is $13.95 to $20.56.  Analysts have an average price target of $22.84 and the market cap is currently $55.6 billion.  We’ll be paying attention to any NBC Universal updates on the progress of that deal.

ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) reports its oil earnings Wednesday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the oil giant of $1.45 EPS and $45.59 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.36 EPS and $46.99 billion in revenues.  With shares at $61.50, the stock just hit a new 52-week high of $61.88 on Friday and hit a new 52-week high on Monday of $62.63.  The market cap here is $91.3 billion and the average analyst price target is $62.00.

Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) is expected to report earnings Wednesday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the consumer products giant of $1.00 EPS and $20.25 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.11 EPS and $21.27 billion in revenues.  With shares at $63.63, the 52-week trading range is $39.37 (flash crash) to $64.58.  The market cap is a whopping $180 billion and analysts have an average price target of $69.71.

3M Co. (NYSE: MMM) is due Thursday morning and the conglomerate is nearly at a 52-week high.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.51 EPS and $6.83 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.35 EPS and $6.49 billion in revenues.  With shares at $91.15, the new 52-week high as just put in at $91.49 on Monday. The stock closed out August under $80, so this is not bad considering that GE was hit after its earnings.

The Dow Chemical Company (NYSE: DOW) has the chemicals earnings due Thursday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.41 EPS and $12.66 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.31 EPS and $12.43 billion in revenues.  With shares at $31.62, the 52-week range is $22.42 to $32.05. This was a $24.00 stock at the end of August, but it was a $45 stock back in 2007.

Exxon Mobil Corporation (NYSE: XOM) is due Thursday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for big-oil and the largest company in America by market cap of $1.39 EPS and $98.11 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.45 EPS and $98.58 billion in revenues.  With shares at $66.54, Exxon shares have recovered from under $60 at the August lows and from about $57 from the summer-lows.  Still, the 52-week range is $55.94 to $76.54 and the market cap is around $338 billion.  Analysts have an average price target of $73.57.  The key that investors are likely to focus on is its natural gas integration of XTO.

Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan (NYSE: POT) is hard to call between the earnings due Thursday and the current merger  premium.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.15 EPS and $1.32 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.36 EPS and $1.43 billion in revenues.  With shares at $143.10, the market cap is roughly $42.4 billion despite having slid from $150 over concerns that the acquisition will be blocked.

First Solar, Inc. (NASDAQ: FSLR) is due this Thursday after the close.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for America’s largest solar player of $1.94 EPS and $778.2 million in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $1.66 EPS and $635.7 million in revenues.  With shares at $147.50, the stock has recovered some from fresh lows and is back at being close enough to challenge the $150 mark.  Higher oil, a flood of solar companies announcing contracts, and the company’s rough guidance have all helped support shares here.  The market cap is roughly $12.6 billion and analysts have an average price target of $151.68 as of Monday.

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ: MSFT) is expected to report earnings Thursday after the close.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the largest software utility of $0.55 EPS and $15.81 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.68 EPS and $19.01 billion in revenues.  With shares at $25.31, this is till dead money and investors are awaiting all the buyback and dividend trends ahead.  The market cap is about $219 billion and the average analyst price target is still just over $32.00.

Chevron Corp. (NYSE: CVX) is set to report its earnings on Friday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the oil giant of $2.15 EPS and $49.48 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $2.25 EPS and $52.58 billion in revenues.  With shares at $85.11, the stock’s 52-week range is $66.83 to $85.79 now that a new 52-week high was just hit this Monday.  The average analyst price target is now $93.47 and the market cap is $171 billion.

Merck & Co. Inc. (NYSE: MRK) is the last of the DJIA components and earnings come Friday morning.  Thomson Reuters has estimates for the drug giant of $0.82 EPS and $11.23 billion in revenues.  Estimates for the quarter ahead are $0.85 EPS and $11.61 billion in revenues.  With shares at $37.50, the 52-week range is $30.29 to $41.56.  The market cap for the drug giant is $115 billion and analysts have an average price target of roughly $41.86.

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JON C. OGG