33 Key Earnings Reports To Watch This Week, April 30-May 4

The first-quarter earnings season has so far generated big waves of positive surprises, which fueled the upward momentum in the stock market. However, investors should take these earnings beats with a grain of salt.

Of the 268 companies that have announced results so far, 78 percent have beaten analysts' expectations, which is above the average 72 percent earnings beat rate of the past four quarters. In terms of revenue, 68 percent of companies have reported actual sales above estimated sales, which is also above the average 63 percent revenue beat rate of the past four quarters, according to data from FactSet.

For the quarter, the financial, industrial, and information-technology sectors are reporting the highest earnings-growth rates.

However, the picture might not be as rosy as it appears at first glance. The record-setting positive earnings surprises are masking a slightly more bearish reality: Corporate earnings are actually growing at a slower pace, compared with the same period a year ago.

The better-than-expected results came after analysts spent much of the first quarter trimming their forecasts. Back at the end of last year, Wall Street was expecting S&P 500 constituent companies to report a roughly 6 percent earnings growth rate in the first quarter of this year. That estimate plunged to a mere 2 percent by late February -- and edged up, to just below 3 percent, by mid-April.

The trend in earnings guidance is also a disappointment. For the current fiscal quarter, 64 companies have issued negative [earnings per share] guidance and 39 companies have issued positive EPS guidance, FactSet reported on Friday.

We ran a screen and produced a list of 33 key companies set to report their earnings between April 30 and May 4. We have highlighted their expected reporting dates and times, along with analysts' EPS and revenue estimates from Reuters, as well as the stocks' year-to-date performances.

Monday Before Market Open, or BMO:

Loews Corp. (NYSE: L) has a market capitalization of $16.28 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 79 cents, a 11.2 percent drop from a year ago, when Loews earned 89 cents a share. Loews is currently trading around $41.03 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 9 percent in value.

Monday After Market Close, or AMC:

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (NYSE: APC) has a market cap of $37.45 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 82 cents on revenue of $3.42 billion, compared with a profit of 72 cents a share on revenue of $3.25 billion in the year-ago period. Anadarko Petroleum is currently trading around $74.05 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 3 percent in value.

McKesson Corp. (NYSE: MCK) has a market cap of $22.51 billion and is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter EPS of $2.06 on revenue of $30.4 billion, compared with a profit of $1.66 a share on revenue of $28.85 billion in the year-ago period. McKesson is currently trading around $91.47 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 17.4 percent in value.

Tuesday BMO:

Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) has a market cap of $173.81 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 56 cents on revenue of $15.47 billion, compared with a profit of 60 cents a share on revenue of $16.5 billion in the year-ago period. Pfizer is currently trading around $23.06 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 6.56 percent in value.

Archer Daniels Midland Co. (NYSE: ADM) has a market cap of $20.53 billion and is expected to report fiscal third-quarter EPS of 59 cents on revenue of $21.38 billion, compared with a profit of 86 cents a share on revenue of $20.08 billion in the year-ago period. Archer Daniels Midland is currently trading around $31.03 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 8.5 percent in value.

Automatic Data Processing Inc. (Nasdaq: ADP) has a market cap of $27.27 billion and is expected to report fiscal third-quarter EPS of 91 cents on revenue of $2.92 billion, compared with a profit of 85 cents a share on revenue of $2.74 billion in the year-ago period. Automatic Data Processing is currently trading around $55.58 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 2.91 percent in value.

Becton, Dickinson and Co. (NYSE: BDX) has a market cap of $16.25 billion and is expected to report fiscal second-quarter EPS of $1.38 on revenue of $1.94 billion, compared with a profit of $1.38 a share on revenue of $1.92 billion in the year-ago period. Becton Dickinson is currently trading around $77.32 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 3.48 percent in value.

Biogen Idec Inc. (Nasdaq: BIIB) has a market cap of $31.23 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $1.48 on revenue of $1.32 billion, compared with a profit of $1.43 a share on revenue of $1.2 billion in the year-ago period. Biogen Idec is currently trading around $130.8 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 18.86 percent in value.

Emerson Electric Co. (NYSE: EMR) has a market cap of $38.1 billion and is expected to report fiscal second-quarter EPS of 80 cents on revenue of $6.0 billion, compared with a profit of 73 cents a share on revenue of $5.85 billion in the year-ago period. Emerson Electric is currently trading around $51.88 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 11.35 percent in value.

Marathon Petroleum Corp (NYSE: MPC) has a market cap of $14.14 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $1.34 on revenue of $17.68 billion, compared with a profit of $2.29 a share on revenue of $20.79 billion in the year-ago period. Marathon Petroleum is currently trading around $40.65 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 22.11 percent in value.

Avon Products Inc. (NYSE: AVP) has a market cap of $8.81 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 28 cents on revenue of $2.52 billion, compared with a profit of 37 cents a share on revenue of $2.63 billion in the year-ago period. Avon Products is currently trading around $21.80 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 24.79 percent in value.

Tuesday AMC:

Chesapeake Energy Corp. (NYSE: CHK) has a market cap of $11.63 billion and is expected to report a sharply lower first-quarter EPS of 29 cents on revenue of $2.78 billion, compared with a profit of 75 cents a share on revenue of $1.61 billion in the year-ago period. Chesapeake Energy is currently trading around $17.56 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 21.22 percent in value.

Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. (NYSE: MMI) has a market cap of $11.61 billion and is expected to swing to profit in the first quarter, recording an EPS of one cent on revenue of $2.96 billion, compared with a loss of 8 cents a share on revenue of $3.03 billion in the year-ago period. Motorola Mobility is currently trading around $38.43 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost one percent in value.

Broadcom Corp. (Nasdaq: BRCM) has a market cap of $20.08 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 55 cents on revenue of $1.8 billion, compared with a profit of 68 cents a share on revenue of $1.82 billion in the year-ago period. Broadcom is currently trading around $36.47 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 24.22 percent in value.

Tuesday At Noon:

Cummins Inc. (NYSE: CMI) has a market cap of $22.31 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $2.22 on revenue of $4.4 billion, compared with a profit of $1.75 a share on revenue of $3.86 billion in the year-ago period. Cummins is currently trading around $116.08 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 31.88 percent in value.

Wednesday BMO:

Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) has a market cap of $36.58 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 64 cents on revenue of $6.82 billion, compared with a profit of 58 cents a share on revenue of $6.68 billion in the year-ago period. Time Warner is currently trading around $37.88 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 4.81 percent in value.

Comcast Corp. (Nasdaq: CMCSA) has a market cap of $81.83 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 42 cents on revenue of $14.44 billion, compared with a profit of 34 cents a share on revenue of $12.13 billion in the year-ago period. Comcast is currently trading around $30.24 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 27.54 percent in value.

Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA) has a market cap of $57.43 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $5.29 on revenue of $1.73 billion, compared with a profit of $4.29 a share on revenue of $1.5 billion in the year-ago period. Mastercard is currently trading around $453.98 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 21.77 percent in value.

CVS Caremark Corp. (NYSE: CVS) has a market cap of $58.25 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 63 cents on revenue of $30.31 billion, compared with a profit of 57 cents a share on revenue of $25.88 billion in the year-ago period. CVS Caremark is currently trading around $44.58 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 9.32 percent in value.

Devon Energy Corp. (NYSE: DVN) has a market cap of $27.9 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $1.44 on revenue of $2.58 billion, compared with a profit of $1.34 a share on revenue of $2.15 billion in the year-ago period. Devon Energy is currently trading around $69.05 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 11.37 percent in value.

Wednesday AMC:

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) has a market cap of $100.19 billion and is expected to report fiscal second-quarter EPS of $1.5 on revenue of $2.48 billion, compared with a profit of $1.23 a share on revenue of $2.25 billion in the year-ago period. Visa is currently trading around $123.19 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 21.33 percent in value.

Green Mountain Coffee Roasters Inc. (NASDAQ: GMCR) has a market cap of $7.55 billion and is expected to report fiscal second-quarter EPS of 64 cents on revenue of $971.72 million, compared with a profit of 48 cents a share on revenue of $647.66 million in the year-ago period. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters is currently trading around $48.75 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 8.7 percent in value.

The Allstate Corp. (NYSE: ALL) has a market cap of $16.9 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $1.12 on revenue of $6.44 billion, compared with a profit of 93 cents a share on revenue of $6.22 billion in the year-ago period. Allstate is currently trading around $33.92 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 23.75 percent in value.

Prudential Financial Inc. (NYSE: PRU) has a market cap of $28.82 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $1.71 on revenue of $10.48 billion, compared with a profit of $1.69 a share on revenue of $9.2 billion in the year-ago period. Prudential Financial is currently trading around $61.31 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 22.33 percent in value.

Whole Foods Market Inc. (Nasdaq: WFM) has a market cap of $15.33 billion and is expected to report fiscal second-quarter EPS of 59 cents on revenue of $2.67 billion, compared with a profit of 51 cents a share on revenue of $2.35 billion in the year-ago period. Whole Foods Market is currently trading around $84.08 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 20.84 percent in value.

Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) has a market cap of $12.01 billion and is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter EPS of 39 cents on revenue of $1.69 billion, compared with a profit of 38 cents a share on revenue of $1.67 billion in the year-ago period. Symantec is currently trading around $16.47 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 5.24 percent in value.

Wednesday At Noon:

Marathon Oil Corp. (NYSE: MRO) has a market cap of $21.06 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 87 cents on revenue of $3.36 billion, compared with a profit of 88 cents a share on revenue of $21.07 billion in the year-ago period. An earnings conference call will be held at 2 p.m. EDT. Marathon Oil is currently trading around $29.9 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 2.15 percent in value.

Thursday BMO:

General Motors Co. (NYSE: GM) has a market cap of $37.14 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 85 cents on revenue of $37.54 billion, compared with a profit of 95 cents a share on revenue of $36.19 billion in the year-ago period. General Motors is currently trading around $23.72 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 17.02 percent in value.

Viacom Inc. (Nasdaq: VIAB) has a market cap of $25.65 billion and is expected to report fiscal second-quarter EPS of 90 cents on revenue of $3.33 billion, compared with a profit of 72 cents a share on revenue of $3.27 billion in the year-ago period. Viacom is currently trading around $47.44 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 4.47 percent in value.

American Tower Corp. (NYSE: AMT) has a market cap of $25.54 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 40 cents on revenue of $671.39 million, compared with a profit of 23 cents a share on revenue of $562.7 million in the year-ago period. American Tower is currently trading around $64.86 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 8.08 percent in value.

Thursday AMC:

American International Group Inc. (NYSE: AIG) has a market cap of $63.94 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of $1.06 on revenue of $8.84 billion, compared with a profit of $1.30 a share on revenue of $8.65 billion in the year-ago period. American International Group is currently trading around $33.71 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 45.3 percent in value.

Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) has a market cap of $69.11 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 56 cents on revenue of $13.04 billion, compared with a profit of 52 cents a share on revenue of $12.57 billion in the year-ago period. Kraft is currently trading around $39 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 4.39 percent in value.

LinkedIn Corp. (NYSE: LNKD) has a market cap of $10.78 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 9 cents on revenue of $178.36 million. The largest professional-networking website went public in May 2011 at $45 a share. The company posted a profit of 12 cents in the last three months of 2011 on revenue of $167.74 million. Linkedin is currently trading around $105.24 a share. So far this year, the stock has appreciated 67 percent in value.

Friday BMO:

Duke Energy Corp. (NYSE: DUK) has a market cap of $28.61 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 37 cents on revenue of $3.60 billion, compared with a profit of 39 cents a share on revenue of $3.66 billion in the year-ago period. Duke Energy is currently trading around $21.38 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost about 3 percent in value.

Estee Lauder Cos. Inc. (NYSE: EL) has a market cap of $25.21 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 33 cents on revenue of $2.25 billion, compared with a profit of 71 cents a share on revenue of $2.17 billion in the year-ago period. Estee Lauder is currently trading around $65.02 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 15.78 percent in value.

Friday At Noon:

Exelon Corp. (NYSE: EXC) has a market cap of $25.61 billion and is expected to report first-quarter EPS of 81 cents on revenue of $7.67 billion, compared with a profit of $1.17 a share on revenue of $5.05 billion in the year-ago period. Exelon is currently trading around $38.59 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 11 percent in value.

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