Late Inning Earnings Plays: HPQ, CRM, GPS, ZUMZ

May 21, 2013, 09:35 am ET, BY Billy- Contributor| Editor: Thomas H. Kee Jr. (Follow on LinkedIn)

Even with the Q1 earnings season getting ready to wind down, there are still a host of prominent companies left to announce their quarterly results. This week, a couple of big names in the tech sector and numerous retailers will be unveiling their earnings. Here is what to watch for in the coming days.

Rally Time for HP

After the market close on Wednesday, Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE:HPQ) will weigh in with its fiscal Q2 earnings. Analysts are calling for a 17.3% decline in EPS coupled with an 8.5% slide in total revenue.

Shares of HP have already soared 49.3% on the year, but the stock may have more gas left in the tank. On a fundamental basis, common shares of HP remain inexpensive with a forward P/E of just 5.9. The downward trend in the company’s top line results is troubling, but if the ship can be steadied prior to the end of next year I would call it a win.

Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM) has put together an impressive tape as it heads into its quarterly earnings release on Thursday after the market close. Shares are trading near a 52-week high as analysts are predicting the company will report EPS of $0.09 versus $0.10 in the prior year quarter. Sales are expected to rise by 27.6% over the same time period. The company’s cloud computing subscription and support business will continue to drive revenue expansion for the foreseeable future.

Stylin’ and Profilin’

On the retail front, The Gap (NYSE:GPS) is slated to check in with the results of its Q1 on Thursday. Wall Street is calling for the company to announce a 46.8% increase in EPS on a 5.5% uptick in revenue when compared to the year-ago quarter. Gap shares have already surged 32.0% so far this year.

The story at Gap remains intriguing for investors who are in it for the long term. The company presently pulls in approximately two thirds of its revenue from U.S. operations, but has recently said that it intends to build out its international footprint in the coming years. In 2014, Gap is going to begin to franchise Old Navy in international markets. The stock should continue to grind higher as the move unfolds.

Another retail name for investors to monitor in the coming days is Zumiez (NASDAQ:ZUMZ). After the close on Thursday, the consensus among analysts is that the company will post EPS of $0.12 versus $0.14 in the prior year quarter. Sales are expected to spike 13.7% over Q1 in 2012. From a technical standpoint, the stock is heating up as its 50 day moving average broke above its 200 day moving average earlier this month. On a fundamental basis though, shares of Zumiez may be a little rich at a forward P/E of 17.1 and a price to book of 3.2.

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