By: Billy Fisher

Contributor, Stock Traders Daily

Real Time Trading Reports:  Included are detailed trading reports designed to help investors realize opportunities in these companies as earnings are released.  The reports are linked to the stock symbols in the article below.

(La Jolla, CA)  As this week comes to a close, several big name companies will report their quarterly results in hopes of driving their share prices higher. A couple of these stocks are already trading at 52-week highs and could experience a fair amount of volatility in anticipation of the results and the days that follow. Here is what to expect ahead of earnings.

Pulling the Plug

Since bottoming out in early March, shares of General Electric (NYSE: GE) have roared back to the tune of 178.2%. Friday will be an important test for the stock when GE reports its Q3 results. Analysts are expecting the company to post a 55.6% drop in EPS on a 15.3% decline in sales versus its year-ago quarter.

It has been reported that GE is now working on a deal in which it will be able to unwind its stake in NBC Universal to Comcast (Nasdaq: CMCSA) over several years. Such an agreement would be in addition to a planned joint venture between Comcast and GE which would enable Comcast to become a majority owner of NBC Universal. Given the uncertainty surrounding GE, it would be beneficial for traders to review our free GE trading report prior to buying or selling this stock going into earnings.

The Drill Down

Halliburton (NYSE: HAL) shareholders are also poised for considerably lower earnings compared to a year ago when the oil and gas services company reports its Q3 results on Friday. Wall Street is looking for the company to check in with a 65.8% drop in EPS on a 29.6% slide in sales.

These expectations have been factored into Halliburton’s current stock price which is up 59.4% year-to-date and sits at a new 52-week high. The company is coming off of a tough Q2 in which the firm noted that its results were adversely impacted by a continuing trend of deterioration in North American drilling activity. Traders who believe that Halliburton has since turned the corner, can use our free HAL trading report to ensure that they have good risk controls in place before trading this stock.

More Than Child’s Play

The economic downturn has even clipped the results of toymakers ever so slightly. When Mattel (NYSE: MAT) reports its Q3 results the consensus is that EPS will be down 4.5% on an 8.5% drop in sales compared to Q3 of 2008. That said, the company’s stock is still trading near a 52-week high and carrying a dividend yield of 4.0%.

Last quarter, Mattel saw its sales take a hit on a global basis, but EPS was up and the company was able to enhance its margins by 70 basis points net of sales. Mattel also improved its cash flow by managing its expenses more tightly. This is a well-managed company that is headed in the right direction, but it would still be worthwhile for traders to view our free MAT trading report prior to pulling the trigger on this stock.

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