Earnings playbook: Your guide to a key week of reports, including Walmart

Published Sun, May 12 20248:48 AM EDT

The earnings season is wrapping up, but there are still some key names set to report, which could provide insight into the health of the consumer. Just seven S & P 500 names are slated to post their quarterly figures, including Home Depot and Walmart. Overall, 92% of the S & P 500 has already reported, with nearly 80% of those companies beating expectations, per FactSet. Take a look at CNBC Pro's breakdown of what's expected from some of this week's key reports. All times are Eastern. Tuesday Home Depot is set to report earnings before the bell. A call is also slated for 9 a.m. Last quarter: HD reported better-than-expected earnings and revenue despite consumers taking on smaller home improvement projects. This quarter: The home improvement giant's earnings are forecast to have fallen more than 5% from the year-earlier period. What CNBC is watching: Home Depot has struggled this year, hovering around the flatline. Can the company's upcoming numbers get the stock out of its funk? "HD shares face the triple [whammy] of a rate overhang, arguably dilutive deal & still negative comp trends. But Q1 results could spur relief amidst gradually improving comps," Wells Fargo analyst Zachary Fadem wrote. What history shows: Home Depot has beating earnings estimates 87% of the time, according to Bespoke Investment Group. The stock has also risen in three of the last four earnings days. Wednesday Cisco Systems is set to report earnings after the close. Management is scheduled to hold a call at 4:30 p.m. Last quarter: Cisco posted fiscal second-quarter results that beat expectations. The company also said it would lay off 5% of its workforce . This quarter: Analysts polled by LSEG expect double-digit earnings and revenue declines from the legacy tech giant. What CNBC is watching: Cisco shares are down about 5% year to date, making their valuation "inexpensive" in the near term, according to JPMorgan. However, analyst Samik Chatterjee said the medium-to-long term earnings outlook for the company is muted, which could be reflected in this upcoming report. "Significant part of Cisco's product revenues are accounted for by Campus Networking, including Switches and WLAN, which saw a significant surge in demand post the pandemic. With a recently refreshed installed base, the Campus market is now in correction," he wrote. What history shows: Cisco shares have risen after the last six earnings releases, Bespoke data shows. Thursday Walmart is set to report earnings in the premarket, followed by a call at 8 a.m. Last quarter: Walmart earnings topped analysts' estimates, thanks to soaring e-commerce sales . This quarter: Analysts expect mid-single digits earnings and revenue growth from the retail giant, according to LSEG. What CNBC is watching: Walmart's strong momentum is expected to have continued in the fiscal first quarter, according to Bank of America analyst Robert Ohmes. "We see continued gross margin expansion for WMT as increasing contributions from higher-margin profit streams (digital advertising, 3P marketplace & fulfillment services) help offset ongoing mix shift headwinds (as sales of higher-margin general merchandise continue lagging grocery and health/wellness)," the analyst said in a note Friday. What history shows: Walmart has beaten bottom-line forecasts 71% of the time, per Bespoke. However, shares fell in two of the last three earnings days.