Stocks fell last week as oil prices swung wildly, hundreds of companies posted fourth-quarter reports, and economic data showed that job growth has slowed even as wages are trending higher.
Through all of that news the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI) and the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) added to their losses for the year, losing 1.7% and 3.1%, respectively.
The week ahead promises to be just as packed with news for investors. Several of the market's biggest stocks, including Disney , Twitter and Activision Blizzard , are due to post quarterly earnings reports over the next few days.
Tuesday, Feb. 9 - Disney's big day
After the market closes on Tuesday, Disney is expected to reveal solidly higher quarterly sales and profits. Revenue should rise 10% to $15 billion as earnings jump 14% to $1.45 per share, according to consensus estimates. Yet the stock is down 16% since the entertainment giant's last quarterly check-in - and 22% lower over the past six months.
Image source: Activision Blizzard.
Beyond the headline numbers, look for Activision to demonstrate progress at deepening its portfolio from the 3 tent pole franchises , Call of Duty , World of Warcraft , and Sklyanders , that accounted for nearly all of its profit as recently as 2014. In contrast, the company likely ended 2015 with 10 triple-A brands including new additions Destiny and Hearthstone .
Staying on top of the video game sales charts this year won't be easy, and rivals from EA to Disney will take every chance they can get to knock Call of Duty and Sklylanders off of their No. 1 spots. But as the installed base of this generation of game consoles grows, and as digital sales push profits higher, Activision has a good shot at a record operating year ahead for 2016.
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The article What to Watch in the Stock Market This Week originally appeared on Fool.com.
Demitrios Kalogeropoulos owns shares of Activision Blizzard, Facebook, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool owns shares of and recommends Activision Blizzard, Facebook, Twitter, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool recommends Take-Two Interactive. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days . We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy .
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The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.
