Earnings Preview: Oracle Corporation (ORCL), Tiffany & Co. (TIF), FedEx Corporation (FDX), Nike Inc (NKE)

Worse-than-expected winter weather continues to erode earnings per share growth projections, according to S&P Capital IQ.

The year-over-year increase in first-quarter 2014 EPS growth is now pegged by S&P Capital IQ consensus at less than 1 percent, down from a near 5 percent forecast at the beginning of the year and 7 percent estimate fewer than six months ago, said Sam Stovall, chief equity strategist at S&P Capital IQ, in a note.

In addition, second quarter and third quarter projections have come down to 8.9 percent and 9.7 percent, respectively, from 10.3 percent and 10.7 percent, as of the start of the year, Stovall added.

Finally, the full-year estimate for S&P 500 (INDEXSP:.INX) operating EPS growth has declined to 7.7 percent from 10 percent on Jan. 2, and more than 11 percent as of Oct. 1, 2013.

“Should the EPS growth estimate continue to erode, we think investors' confidence will too,” Stovall said.

We ran a screen and produced a list of 11 notable companies set to report their earnings March 17-21. We have highlighted their expected reporting dates and times, along with analysts’ earnings-per-share (fully reported) and revenue estimates from Reuters, as well as the stocks' trailing 12-month performances.

Monday After Markets Close, or AMC:

Galena Biopharma Inc (NASDAQ:GALE) is a biotechnology company focused on discovering, developing and commercializing therapies addressing unmet medical needs using targeted biotherapeutics. The company has a market capitalization of 309.38 million. It is expected to report a loss of 8 cents a share in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013, compared with a loss of 4 cents a share in the year-ago period. Galena Biopharma Inc. is trading at around $2.93 per share. In the past 12 months, the stock has gained 41.3 percent.

Tuesday AMC:

Oracle Corporation (NYSE:ORCL) is a provider of enterprise software and computer hardware products and services. The company has a market capitalization of $169.69 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 third-quarter EPS of 56 cents on revenue of $9.36 billion, compared with a profit of 52 cents a share on revenue of $8.97 billion in the year-ago period. Oracle Corporation is trading at around $37.73 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has gained 6.0 percent.

Wednesday Before Markets Open, or BMO:

FedEx Corporation (NYSE:FDX) provides a portfolio of transportation, e-commerce and business services under the FedEx brand. The company has a market capitalization of $42.53 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 third-quarter EPS of $1.55 on revenue of $11.46 billion, compared with a profit of $1.13 a share on revenue of $10.95 billion in the year-ago period. FedEx Corporation is trading at around $136.26 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has gained 26.3 percent.

General Mills, Inc. (NYSE:GIS) is a manufacturer and marketer of branded consumer foods sold through retail stores. The company has a market capitalization of $31.85 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 third-quarter EPS of 67 cents on revenue of $4.47 billion, compared with a profit of 60 cents a share on revenue of $4.43 billion in the year-ago period. General Mills Inc. is trading at around $51.00 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has gained 9.7 percent.

Wednesday AMC:

Jabil Circuit, Inc. (NYSE:JBL) is a providers of worldwide electronic manufacturing services and solutions. The company has a market capitalization of $3.69 billion. It is expected to report a loss of 6 cents a share in the second quarter of fiscal year 2014 on revenue of $3.62 billion, compared with a profit of 43 cents a share on revenue of $4.42 billion in the year-ago period. Jabil Circuit Inc. is trading at around $17.88 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has lost 6.6 percent.

Thursday BMO:

Lennar Corporation (NYSE:LEN) is a homebuilder and a provider of financial services and through its Rialto Investments (Rialto) segment, an investor, and manager of funds that invest in real estate assets. The company has a market capitalization of $8.23 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 first-quarter EPS of 28 cents on revenue of $1.28 billion, compared with a profit of 26 cents a share on revenue of $989.95 million in the year-ago period. Lennar Corporation is trading at around $40.11 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has lost 2.3 percent.

ConAgra Foods Inc (NYSE:CAG) is a packaged food company. The company has a market capitalization of $12.40 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 third-quarter EPS of 60 cents on revenue of $4.36 billion, compared with a profit of 29 cents a share on revenue of $3.85 billion in the year-ago period. ConAgra Foods Inc. is trading at around $29.50 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has lost 15.8 percent.

Thursday AMC:

Nike Inc (NYSE:NKE) is engaged in the design, development and worldwide marketing and selling of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories and services. The company has a market capitalization of $69.73 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 third-quarter EPS of 72 cents on revenue of $6.70 billion, compared with a profit of 95 cents a share on revenue of $6.13 billion in the year-ago period. Nike Inc. is trading at around $78.53 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has gained 43.2 percent.

Tibco Software Inc. (NASDAQ:TIBX) is a provider of middleware and infrastructure software. The company has a market capitalization of $3.40 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 first-quarter EPS of 6 cents on revenue of $250.56 million, compared with a profit of 6 cents a share on revenue of $237.79 million in the year-ago period. Tibco Software Inc. is trading at around $21.06 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has lost 10.9 percent.

Friday BMO:

Darden Restaurants, Inc. (NYSE:DRI) is a full service restaurant company. The company has a market capitalization of $6.41 billion. It is expected to report FY 2014 third-quarter EPS of 86 cents on revenue of $2.26 billion, compared with a profit of $1.02 a share on revenue of $2.26 billion in the year-ago period. Darden Restaurants Inc. is trading at around $48.72 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has lost 0.3 percent.

Tiffany & Co. (NYSE:TIF) is an American multinational luxury jewelry and specialty retailer. The company has a market capitalization of $11.79 billion. It is expected to report a loss of 81 cents a share in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2013 on revenue of $1.31 billion, compared with a profit of $1.40 a share on revenue of $1.24 billion in the year-ago period. Tiffany & Co. is trading at around $92.10 a share. In the past 12 months, the stock has gained 33.8 percent.