(By Rich Bieglmeier) Next week will be heavy on earnings announcements as we head into May. Apple Inc. (AAPL) will be a tough act to follow as the tech titan's watermelon-sized, upside surprise, single-handily jacked the NASDAQ up 2.3%.
While it seems like Apple is the only stock that matters, iStock knows that many off-the-radar companies can pop more than AAPL's 8.87%.
Our iEstimates forecast some mighty large potential bullish surprises for the week ahead. Topping the list is Dynamic Materials Corp. (BOOM). Hopefully, that's what the stock does for investors when BOOM reports its first quarter financial results after the stock market closes on Tuesday.
Wall Street believes the explosives related company will report 19 cents on May 1st. The iEstimate is 27 cents – a 43.63% or 8 cent upside surprise. Although Dynamic Materials has topped the consensus view handsomely 14 of its last 16 quarterly announcements, the stock has a history of poor performance around earnings, dropping 10 of 16.
Rudolph Technologies Inc. (RTEC) creates software solutions that are used in semiconductor, solar, and LED industries. Stifel Nicolaus told clients they should buy RTEC into earnings, and the broker raised its estimates and price target for Rudolph
iStock agrees, RETC is supposed to show a 12 cent profit for its first quarter. The news will hit the wires after the market closes on Monday. Come Tuesday, Stifel Nicolaus's not could be astute as the iEstimate calls for a 4 cent surprise and 16 cents per share in earnings.
The 33% surprise would be typical for Rudolph as they usually indulge the street with big surprises and aggressive price swings. Only twice in its last 16 profit reports, RTEC failed to move at least 6.2% in the days surrounding results, with nine on the plus side and five in the minus column.
Thursday will be the fourth time in LinkedIn Corporation's (LNKD) short history as a publicly traded company that it will report earnings. The online, professional, social networking site is a big name and will be watched highly earnings junkies.
Wall Street models forecast a profit of 9 cents for LNKD's first quarter. So far, the company has topped estimates by 700%, 75% and 225% in its first three quarters. iStock's iEstimate says to be prepared for a 55% upside surprise or 14 cents a share.
At 93 times earnings and 19 times sales, you better have a big appetite for risk jumping in front of this one. Besides, the stock price dropped 19.8% the first time LNKD reported, a loss of 12.5% the second time out, and gained 6.7% last time out. At least performance earnings' price performance is trending in the right direction.