Top Earnings Previews for the Week Ahead (APOL, GOL, LEN, PVH, WAG, CMC, FDO, MOS, PAYX, RHT, SN, TEA, BBY, PBY, RIMM)

Earnings season is all but over and only the tail end of the quarterly and off-calendar reporting outfits are still reporting earnings.  Still, the coming week does have several key earnings reports coming down the pipe.

We are offering previews and adding color if applicable on the following companies: Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL); GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL); Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN); PVH Corporation (NYSE: PVH); Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG); Commercial Metals Co. (NYSE: CMC); Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO); The Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS); Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX); Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT); Sanchez Energy Corporation (NYSE: SN); Teavana Holdings Inc. (NYSE: TEA); Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY); Pep Boys-Manny Moe & Jack (NYSE: PBY); and Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM).

Monday , March 26

Apollo Group Inc. (NASDAQ: APOL): Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.37 EPS and $932.8 million in revenues.  Shares of the online university at around $42.50 and the 52-week range is $37.08 to $58.29.

GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. (NYSE: GOL) is expected to report earnings of $0.07 EPS on a translated basis from Brazilian Reals for the Latin American airline outfit.  A slowing Brazil story has not helped GOL out and at $7.50 the 52-week trading range is $5.03 to $14.35.

Tuesday, March 27

Lennar Corporation (NYSE: LEN) was soft after weaker than expected new home sales data for February, but the homebuilder is up over 100% from the lows of 2011.  At $25.75, the 52-week range is $12.14 to $27.07. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.04 EPS and $699.4 million in revenues.

PVH Corporation (NYSE: PVH): Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.09 EPS and $1.5 billion in revenues.  Ay $88.40, shares are very close to the highs with its 52-week range of $51.15 to $90.64.

Walgreen Co. (NYSE: WAG) has not been a big performer of late and the $33.50 handle today compares to a 52-week range of $30.34 to $45.34. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.77 EPS and $18.56 billion in revenues.

Wednesday, March 28

Commercial Metals Co. (NYSE: CMC): Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.09 EPS and $2.98 billion in revenues. With shares around $13.78, the 52-week trading range is $8.64 to $17.84.

Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) is till winning off of the dollar store theme.  At $57.25 the 52-week trading range is $44.42 to $60.53. The company will report before the market opens and Thomson Reuters has estimates of $1.13 EPS and $2.46 billion in revenues.

The Mosaic Co. (NYSE: MOS): Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.75 EPS and $2.54 billion in revenues. At $58.00, the 52-week range is $44.86 to $83.41.

Paychex Inc. (NASDAQ: PAYX)  should be benefitting from the increased payrolls that the Labor Department has been showing in recent months.  It is a key jobs barometer.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.37 EPS and $568.8 million in revenues.

Red Hat Inc. (NYSE: RHT) is one of the high-beta stocks that we always say has to beat and raise guidance to maintain its premium valuations. Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.37 EPS and $291.2 million in revenues. At $51.60, the 52-week range is $31.77 to $53.42 and the market cap is now $9.9 billion.  This one trades at almost 45-times the expected year ahead earnings of $1.15 EPS for fiscal year February-2013.

Sanchez Energy Corporation (NYSE: SN) is one we just do not enough estimates on to make a consensus, but this was one of the disappointing oil and gas IPOs of late 2011 and many investors are going to be waiting anxiously to see how the overall tome of the report is.  This is an Eagle-Ford Shale play in Texas.

Teavana Holdings Inc. (NYSE: TEA) is set to report on Wednesday and the stock remains with a high earnings multiple even for a growing tea retail story.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.31 EPS and $67.75 million in revenues.  This one came public in 2011 and at $21.25 it has a post-IPO range of $14.28 to $29.35.  It trades at more than 40-times its expected trailing earnings estimates.

Thursday, March 29

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY) is a value stock, or maybe it is just a value trap where the very low P/E ratio is masked by declining users, lower margins, and a peaking of growth already having been seen.  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $2.16 EPS and $17.2 billion in revenues.  With this being the February quarter, this is “the money quarter” as it includes holiday sales.  At $27.00, the 52-week trading range is $21.79 to $32.85. Best Buy was a $50.00 right before the recession.

Pep Boys-Manny Moe & Jack (NYSE: PBY) is being acquired, so all that matters is that there are no huge discrepancies that would cause a material change in the terms affecting its buyout.  Estimates from Thomson Reuters are $0.12 EPS and $502.5 million in revenues.

Research In Motion Ltd. (NASDAQ: RIMM) is the big kahuna of the week.  Traders have been shorting RIM aggressively, and options are active.  One trader even wanted the best longer-dated options bet for “playing RIM under $10 per share.”  Thomson Reuters has estimates of $0.82 EPS and $4.55 billion in revenues.  While earnings are expected to drop down to $2.77 EPS from $4.13 EPS, some are under the belief that long-term targets are impossible due to the Android and iPhone migration will create a long slow death here for RIM.  At $13.85, the 52-week trading range is $12.45 to $58.40.   As a reminder on all earnings dates and expectations, these may have already changed and some will change between now and the formal reporting dates.

JON C. OGG