Earnings playbook: Your guide to another big week of reports, including Disney and Ford

Published Sun, Feb 4 20247:01 AM EST

Another busy week of earnings is about to start, featuring some of the biggest media and consumer names in the world. Disney, McDonald's and Uber Technologies are among the 94 S & P 500 companies slated to report this week. Those reports will come as the halfway mark of the fourth-quarter earnings season approaches. More than 230 S & P 500 companies have already posted their fourth-quarter numbers. Of those names, nearly 75% have exceeded analyst expectations, FactSet data shows. Take a look at CNBC Pro's breakdown of what's expected from some of this week's key reports. All times are Eastern. Monday McDonald's is set to report earnings before the bell, followed by a conference call at 8:30 a.m. Last quarter: MCD reported a 14% jump in revenue due to higher prices in the U.S. This quarter: The fast food giant is expected to report earnings and revenue growth in the high-single digits, per LSEG. What CNBC is watching: U.S. same-store sales will be in focus when McDonald's reports earnings. UBS analyst Dennis Geiger, who has a buy rating and a $340 price target, wrote late January: "We anticipate still solid but slower US sss trends and some international sales pressure, while underlying momentum remains largely intact." What history shows: McDonald's beats earnings expectations 57% of the time, according to Bespoke Investment Group. The stock has risen more than 1% on the last two earnings days. Tuesday Chipotle Mexican Grill is set to report earnings after the close. Management is slated to hold a call at 4:30 p.m. Last quarter: CMG posted results that easily beat Wall Street analyst expectations . This quarter: The company's earnings and revenue are forecast to have grown by more than 10%, LSEG data shows. What CNBC is watching: Investors will look for signs on whether the company's same-store sales momentum can continue. "Our latest Chipotle channel checks suggest same-store sales trends through November are relatively steady in the +MSD%+ range with traffic that appears to have strengthened further through December as comparisons ease," wrote Stephens analyst Joshua Long. What history shows: Chipotle beats earnings 76% of the time, per Bespoke. The stock also averages a 1.66% gain on earnings days. Ford Motor is set to report earnings after the close, followed by a conference call at 5 p.m. Last quarter: F earnings missed expectations, and the company pulled its guidance due to a UAW strike . This quarter: Ford is expected to report a massive year-over-year earnings decline, according to LSEG. What CNBC is watching: Investors are bracing for a tough quarterly report, as the automaker tried to recover from a UAW strike and, like other companies in the space, dealt with a murky outlook around electric vehicles. However, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas thinks Ford is set up for success going forward, calling it last week his top pick among U.S. automakers. "Slower EV adoption is a POSITIVE for Ford. While progress will be measured over multiple quarters, we are confident that Ford can act to mitigate the source of value destruction," Jonas wrote . What history shows: Ford earnings exceed expectations 69% of the time, Bespoke data shows. However, shares have fallen on the last four earnings days, including a 12.3% decline following the company's Q3 results release. Wednesday Uber Technologies is set to report earnings in the premarket. Corporate leadership is also set to hold a call at 8 a.m. Last quarter: UBER's third-quarter results missed analyst expectations . This quarter: Revenue for the ride-sharing company is expected to have risen by 13%, but earnings are forecast to have dropped by more than 40%, LSEG data shows. What CNBC is watching: Uber comes into its fourth-quarter report riding high, with the stock up more than 10% year to date. Citi analyst Ronald Josey, who has a buy rating on the stock, thinks the results be solid, citing greater mobility demand and Uber One adoption. What history shows: Uber shares have risen in five of the last six earnings days, according to Bespoke. That includes an 18.9% rally after second-quarter 2022 earnings were posted. Disney is set to report earnings after the bell. A call with management will then be held at 4:30 p.m. Last quarter: DIS posted a better-than-expected profit and expanded its cost-cutting plan by $2 billion. This quarter: The media giant is expected to report flat earnings and revenue, per LSEG. What CNBC is watching: Disney is coming off a tough year, rising just 3.9% in 2023 while the S & P 500 rallied 24%, as the company dealt with some lackluster box office performances and a proxy fight. Can the company regain its mojo? "There is a whole lot of noise and very little light at the moment in Disney," wrote Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar. "In the interim, we suspect there is significant management attention being diverted towards the proxy battle instead of operations, at a time when the company faces critical strategic decisions which could shape the narrative for years to come." What history shows: Disney shares have risen in each of the last two earnings days, and the company beats earnings expectations 78% of the time, Bespoke data shows.