Groupon, Macy’s, Best Buy, JC Penney: Earnings Reports To Watch, Feb 25-28

Additionally, automakers are scheduled to report February sales results Friday, with the Big Three U.S. carmakers projected to post sales gains.

Overall, 429 companies have reported earnings to date for the fourth quarter. Among them, 72 percent have reported earnings above analyst expectations, slightly above the average performance during the past four quarters, according to data compiled by FactSet.

In terms of revenue, 66 percent of companies have reported actual sales above estimated sales, an improvement relative to recent quarters, FactSet reported. Over the previous two quarters on average, just 41 percent of companies reported actual sales above estimated sales. Over the past four quarters on average, 50 percent of companies have reported actual sales above estimated sales.

We ran a screen and produced a list of 35 notable companies set to report earnings Feb. 25-28. We have highlighted their expected reporting dates and times, along with analysts' earnings-per-share and revenue estimates from Reuters, as well as the stocks' year-to-date performances.

Wednesday BMO:

CenterPoint Energy Inc. (NYSE:CNP) is a public utility holding company. The company has a market cap of $8.93 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 21 cents on revenue of $2.42 billion, compared with a profit of 27 cents a share on revenue of $2.15 billion in the year-ago period. CenterPoint Energy is trading at around $20.9 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 8.6 percent.

Cincinnati Bell Inc. (NYSE:CBB) is a full-service provider of data and voice communications services over wireline and wireless networks, a full-service provider of data center colocation and related managed services, and a reseller of information-technology and telephony equipment. The company has a market cap of $847.58 million. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 5 cents on revenue of $367.84 million, compared with a profit of 3 cents a share on revenue of $365.3 million in the year-ago period. Cincinnati Bell is trading at around $4.25 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 22.5 percent.

Dollar Tree Inc. (NASDAQ:DLTR) operates discount variety stores offering merchandise for $1 or less. The company has a market cap of $9.52 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 99 cents on revenue of $2.23 million, compared with a profit of 80 cents a share on revenue of $1.95 billion in the year-ago period. Dollar Tree is trading at around $41.89 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 3.3 percent.

Joy Global Inc. (NYSE:JOY) is a manufacturer and servicer of high-productivity mining equipment for the extraction of coal and other minerals and ores. The company has a market cap of $6.81 billion. It is expected to report FY 2013 first-quarter EPS of $1.14 on revenue of $1.08 billion, compared with a profit of $1.33 a share on revenue of $1.14 billion in the year-ago period. Joy Global is trading at around $63.02 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 29.7 percent

NRG Energy Inc. (NYSE:NRG) is an integrated wholesale power-generation and retail electricity company. The company has a market cap of $5.49 billion. It is expected to report a loss of 15 cents a share in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012 on revenue of $2.55 billion, compared with a loss of 48 cents a share on revenue of $2.13 billion in the year-ago period. NRG is trading at around $24.03 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 4.5 percent.

Target Corp. (NYSE:TGT) is an American retailing company. The company has a market cap of $41.39 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of $1.48 on revenue of $22.67 billion, compared with a profit of $1.43 a share on revenue of $21.29 billion in the year-ago period. Target is trading at around $63.6 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 7.5 percent.

The TJX Companies Inc. (NYSE:TJX) is an off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions. The company has a market cap of $32.25 billion. It is expected to report FY 2013 fourth-quarter EPS of 81 cents on revenue of $7.65 billion, compared with a profit of 62 cents a share on revenue of $6.71 billion in the year-ago period. TJX is trading at around $44.22 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 4.2 percent.

Wednesday AMC:

Groupon Inc. (NASDAQ:GRPN) offers online retail services. The company has a market cap of $3.75 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 3 cents on revenue of $639.59 million, compared with a loss of 2 cents a share on revenue of $506.48 million in the year-ago period. Groupon is trading at around $5.72 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 17.7 percent.

J.C. Penney Co. Inc. (NYSE:JCP) is a retailer. The company has a market cap of $4.93 billion. It is expected to report a loss of 15 cents a share in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2012 on revenue of $4.1 billion, compared with a profit of 74 cents a share on revenue of $5.43 billion in the year-ago period. J.C. Penney is trading at around $22.47 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 14 percent.

Limited Brands Inc. (NYSE:LTD) operates a specialty-retail business. The company has a market cap of $12.54 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of $1.74 on revenue of $3.76 billion, compared with a profit of $1.50 a share on revenue of $3.52 billion in the year-ago period. Limited Brands is trading at around $43.48 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 7.6 percent.

Thursday BMO:

Barnes & Noble Inc. (NYSE:BKS) is a bookseller. The company has a market cap of $809.28 million. It is expected to report FY 2013 third-quarter EPS of 54 cents on revenue of $2.40 billion, compared with a profit of 71 cents a share on revenue of $2.44 billion in the year-ago period. Barnes & Noble is trading at around $13.51 a share. So far this year, the stock has lost 10.5 percent.

Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE:BBY) is a multinational retailer of consumer electronics, computing and mobile-phone products, entertainment products, appliances, and related services. The company has a market cap of $5.75 billion. It is expected to report FY 2013 full-year EPS of $2.49 on revenue of $49.26, compared with a profit of $3.64 a share on revenue of $50.71 billion in the prior year. Best Buy is trading at around $17.02 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 4.7 percent.

Cablevision Systems Corp. (NYSE:CVC) is an American cable-television company with systems serving areas surrounding New York City. The company has a market cap of $3.98 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 9 cents on revenue of $1.7 billion, compared with a profit of 22 cents a share on revenue of $1.69 billion in the year-ago period. Cablevision is trading at around $15.13 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 1.3 percent.

The Wendy's Co. (NASDAQ:WEN) is a quick-service hamburger company. The company has a market cap of $2.15 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 2 cents on revenue of $621.97 million, compared with a profit of 1 cent a share on revenue of $593.19 million in the year-ago period. Wendy's is trading at around $5.49 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 3.6 percent.

Kohl's Corp. (NYSE:KSS) is an American department store chain. The company has a market cap of $10.62 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of $1.63 on revenue of $6.23 billion, compared with a profit of $1.81 a share on revenue of $6.02 billion in the year-ago period. Kohl's is trading at around $46.19 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 7.5 percent.

The Progressive Corp. (NYSE:PGR) is an insurance holding company. The company has a market cap of $14.95 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 42 cents on revenue of $4.41 billion, compared with a profit of 34 cents a share on revenue of $4.16 billion in the year-ago period. Progressive is trading at around $24.72 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 17.2 percent.

Thursday AMC:

The Gap Inc. (NYSE:GPS) is a global specialty apparel company. The company has a market cap of $15.32 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 71 cents on revenue of $4.63 billion, compared with a profit of 44 cents a share on revenue of $4.28 billion in the year-ago period. The Gap is trading at around $31.96 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 3 percent.

Kodiak Oil & Gas Corp. (NYSE:KOG) is an independent energy company focused on the exploration, exploitation, acquisition, and production of crude oil and natural gas in the U.S. The company has a market cap of $2.34 billion. It is expected to report FY 2012 fourth-quarter EPS of 13 cents on revenue of $140.48 million, compared with a loss of 1 cent a share on revenue of $55.01 million in the year-ago period. Kodiak Oil & Gas is trading at around $8.87 a share. So far this year, the stock has gained 0.2 percent.