Top Earnings & Economic Previews For The Day Ahead (AVP, GT, MET, OMC, WPI, ZNGA)

We have several sector-moving earnings reports due on Tuesday, February 14.  These are basic previews for shares of Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP), Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT), MetLife Inc. (NYSE: MET), Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI), and Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA). 

Avon Products, Inc. (NYSE: AVP) $0.51 EPS on $3.11 billion; a serial disappointment in shares and current bribery news is just that much uncertainty for turnaround investors.  The hope has to be that the bar is set low.  The CEO search remains ongoing.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. (NYSE: GT) $0.20 EPS on $5.88 billion in sales.  This remains a long-term turnaround story valued at less than 7-times expected earnings.

MetLife Inc. (NYSE: MET) $1.24 EPS on $16.81 billion in revenues; shares are mid-way between the 52-week high and 52-week low.

Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) $0.95 EPS on $3.8 billion in sales.

Watson Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE: WPI) $1.76 EPS on $1.54 billion in sales.. With some generic Lipitor sales in the quarter and with some insurers starting to only cover the generic Lipitor, earnings and guidance could have a swing different from past quarters due to the mega-blockbuster status of Lipitor.

Zynga Inc. (NASDAQ: ZNGA) is one which we just do not really have a basis to call on as the analyst coverage is all new and this is the first post-IPO earnings report from the social gaming outfit.  Shares are up around $13.60 now and well off of lows due to the Facebook-effect lifting the value on anything tied to social media.

Here are the economic events for Tuesday:

• 8:30 AM EST January Import Prices expected at +0.3%
• 8:30 AM EST January Retail Sales expected at 0.8%
• 10:00 AM EST December Business Inventories  expected at +0.4%

JON C. OGG