Earnings Expectations For The Week Of September 2

This holiday shortened week will see a sprinkling of off-season quarterly reports from the likes of H&R Block HRB and retailer Dollar General DG to truck maker Navistar International NAV and Smith & Wesson SWHC. Here is a quick look at analysts' expectations from those four reports, as well as those from VeriFone Systems PAY and Smithfield Foods SFD. See also: Weekly Preview: Syria Worries and Fed Taper Still Heavy On Investors' Minds H&R Block The provider of tax preparation services is expected to report a seasonal net loss of $0.37 per share for its fiscal first quarter. That per-share loss would be slightly narrower than in the year-ago period. Revenues for the quarter are estimated to be about two percent higher to $98.4 million. Note that the consensus EPS estimate is the same as it was 60 days ago, though this Kansas City-based company fell short of earnings expectations in the previous two quarters. In the current quarter, analysts so far expect a net loss that is slightly narrower, both sequentially and year-over-year. Look for the earnings report Tuesday after the closing bell. Dollar General In its report early Wednesday, this operator of discount variety stores is expected to post fiscal second-quarter earnings that were a nickel per share higher than in the year-ago period to $0.74. The analysts seem confident, as their consensus EPS estimate has remained steady over the past 60 days. Dollar General exceeded EPS expectations in the past six quarters. Revenues from Dollar General are predicted to total $4.36 billion for the most recent quarter. That would be more than 10 percent higher than a year ago. So far, revenue for the current quarter is expected to be higher, both sequentially and year-over-year. Navistar International The fiscal third-quarter forecast for this maker of trucks, buses and RVs calls for a per-share net loss of $1.30 on $2.92 billion in revenues. In the same quarter of the previous year, Navistar beat earnings consensus estimates when it posted a net loss of $0.20 per share and sales of $3.32 billion. Note that just 30 days ago analysts expected a net loss $1.32 per share for the third quarter. However, earnings results fell short of the consensus estimates in half of the past six quarters. Look for the Navistar's report Wednesday before the markets open. Smith & Wesson Fiscal first-quarter earnings from this leading maker of firearms are forecast to come to $0.36 per share in Thursday afternoon's report. That would be up from $0.28 per share in the year-ago period. Earnings were in line with consensus EPS estimates in the previous quarter. The Springfield, Massachusetts-based company is expected to say that revenues totaled $165.02 million in the first quarter, which would be a surge from a year ago of more than 21 percent. However, revenue for the current quarter are expected so far to be lower sequentially and less than five percent higher year-over-year. See also: Smith & Wesson Holding Corporation Completes $75M Unsecured Credit Facility VeriFone Systems This San Jose, California-based electronic payments company is expected to say Thursday after the markets close that for its fiscal third quarter it had $0.20 EPS and $400.85 million in revenue. That would be down from the same period of the previous year, when it posted $0.74 per share on $493.22 million in revenue. VeriFone Systems fell short of analysts' EPS expectations by more than 10 percent in the previous period, the first miss in more than ten quarters. Yet the consensus EPS estimate for the most recent quarter is unchanged in the past 60 days. So far, sequential growth of EPS and revenue is expected in the current quarter. Smithfield Foods Analysts expect the world's largest pork producer to say that per-share earnings rose about 11 percent year-over-year to $0.45 in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. Revenues for the quarter are estimated to be about three percent higher to total $3.19 billion. Note that this consensus EPS estimate has ticked up by a penny in the past 60 days. However, Smithfield Foods fell short of EPS expectations by more than 51 percent in the fourth-quarter report. The company is scheduled to share its results early Friday morning. And Others Other companies predicted to report year-over-year earnings growth this week include Ciena CIEN, Cooper Companies COO, Finisar FNSR and Greif GEF. But an earnings declines are expected from SAIC SAI and Verint Systems VRNT. The following week, look for quarterly reports from Kroger KR, Lululemon Athletica LULU, Men's Wearhouse MW, Ulta Salon Cosmetics and Fragrance ULTA, Vera Bradley VRA and others.