Week three of earnings season presented investors with a deluge of earnings results and week four is shaping up to be just as exciting with some of the most widely held stocks set to report.
Some of the big name shares investors need to watch this week include:
Monday
Fortescue Metals Group Limited (ASX: FMG)
Fortescue shares have climbed 176% over the past 12 months on the back of an improved iron ore price and a 35% cut to its production costs. The company has also worked hard to improve the strength of its balance sheet through multiple debt repayments and CommSec expects Fortescue to announce a profit of US$774 million.
NIB Holdings Limited (ASX: NHF)
Medibank Private Ltd (ASX: MPL) provided a disappointing growth outlook when it reported last week, so investors will be keen to see how NIB reports on Monday. The smaller private health insurer has typically delivered strong policyholder growth and also recently upgraded its own guidance.
Tuesday
Healthscope Ltd (ASX: HSO)
The private hospital operator is expected to post a strong result thanks to the addition of new beds and cost cutting initiatives. According to CommSec, investors should expect the private hospital operator to report net profit after tax (NPAT) of $188.8 million and declare a final dividend of 3.9 cents per share.
Wednesday
Wesfarmers Ltd (ASX: WES)
Wesfarmers will dominate the headlines on Wednesday, with the retail giant expected to report NPAT of around $2.3 billion. Investors will pay close attention to the results from the supermarket division as well as the progress being made on the turnaround of Target. The dividend payout will also be highly anticipated.
Blackmores Limited (ASX: BKL)
Blackmores' share price has struggled since the start of 2016 due to investor concern regarding changes to Chinese importation regulations. Investors will, therefore, be very focused on the commentary provided by the company and the outlook provided for FY17.
Thursday
Woolworths Limited (ASX: WOW)
Woolworths' full year result will be one of the most closely watched this year, with opinions divided about whether or not the company can turn things around. The supermarket division will be the core focus for investors and I suspect Woolworths' operating margins will be examined very closely. Investors will also get their first chance to properly reflect on the direction of the new CEO's strategy.
Flight Centre Travel Group Ltd (ASX: FLT)
Flight Centre has already pre-warned the market to expect a subdued earnings result, so I think investors' attention will turn to the year ahead and how management expects to kick start growth again. The company is likely to provide the market with an indication of how trading conditions have been for the last six weeks and this could determine investor sentiment in the short term.
Friday
Coca-Cola Amatil Ltd (ASX: CCL)
Coca-Cola Amatil has really struggled to deliver earnings growth over the past few years and investors will hope for signs of a turnaround when the company reports its first half results on Friday. The Australian segment has been the biggest drag on earnings growth over recent years and investors will be keen to see if the addition of new product lines has helped to re-ignite earnings growth.
Super Retail Group Ltd (ASX: SUL)
After a disappointing first half result, shares of Super Retail Group have rebounded over the past few months thanks to a better-than-expected trading update. CommSec expects the retailer to post NPAT of $46 million and investors will hope strong like-for-like sales growth has continued into FY17.
