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Deere & Co. (DE), maker of the iconic John Deere tractor, is scheduled to discuss its fiscal fourth-quarter 2009 financial results in a conference call Wednesday, November 25, at 10:00 AM ET, hosted by Chief Financial Officer Jim Field. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in October, Deere planned to invest in Russia, reached a tentative agreement with the UAW and announced some layoffs. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the agricultural equipment maker to report that earnings for that period plunged from $0.81 per share a year ago to $0.03 per share. And revenue for the quarter is expected to be 34.1% lower to $4.4 billion.

Nuance Communications (NUAN - option chain) shares are rising today after the company reported earnings last night, posting a fourth-quarter profit of $6.3 million, or 2 cents per share. Excluding one-time items, NUAN earned 32 cents per share on revenue of $275 million, beating analysts' forecasts of 29 cents per share on revenue of $272 million. If you think that the stock won't fall by too much in the coming months, then now could be a good time to look at a bullish hedged trade on NUAN.

NUAN opened this morning at $14.15. So far today the stock has hit a low of $14.00 and a high of $14.87. As of 11:55, NUAN is trading at $14.75 up 1.00 (7.3%). The chart for NUAN looks bearish.

Preppy fashion retailer J. Crew Group Inc. (JCG), which has been publicly traded since 2006, is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter 2009 results Tuesday in a conference call at 4:30 PM ET. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

For the three months that ended in October, analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the New York-based company to report that its earnings rose 48.3% from a year ago to 58 cents per share, which is in line with the previously raised guidance. Revenue for the quarter is expected to be 12.4% higher to $407.9 million.

Discount retailer Dollar Tree (DLTR), which sells everything for a dollar or less, reported third-quarter earnings Tuesday morning. The company earned 76 cents per share during the quarter, nearly 62% higher than last year's same-quarter earnings. Sales for the quarter increased by more than 12% to $1.25 billion from $1.11 billion in sales from last year.

Dollar Tree beat the Street's earnings expectation of 66 cents per share by a dime and topped and revenue expectations of $1.24 billion. "I am pleased with our third quarter performance," said CEO Bob Sasser in a statment. "Sales and earnings were above plan." Solid earnings from a company specializing in cheap prices during a recession -- is anyone really surprised?

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ), the famous maker of printers and PCs, and a colleague of entities such as Microsoft (MSFT), Dell (DELL), and International Business Machines (IBM), issued Q4 results on Monday after the end of the trading day. Revenues didn't impress me, as sales saw a decline of 8%. Net income, however, was better. On an adjusted basis, earnings per share increased 11% to $1.14.

Also doing well was the operating margin. The adjusted metric increased 170 basis points during the quarter. The annual statement of cash flows should look good to any long-term shareholder. Management still had cash left over from operations after share repurchases, dividend obligations, and capital spending.

H.J. Heinz Co. (HNZ), one of the world's largest food companies, is scheduled to discuss its fiscal second-quarter 2010 financial results in a conference call Tuesday, November 24, at 8:30 AM ET, hosted by CEO William R. Johnson. You can see the accompanying slides on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in October, Heinz partnered with the World Food Program and also declared a quarterly dividend. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the Pittsburgh-based company to report that earnings for the period fell 19.5% from a year ago to $0.70 per share. But revenue for the quarter is expected to total $2.6 billion, about the same as last year.

Medtronic Inc. (MDT), a leading maker of implantable biomedical devices, is scheduled to release its fiscal second-quarter financial results Tuesday, November 24, before the market open, and then to discuss those results in a webcast at 8:00 AM ET. You can catch the live webcast at the company's website.

During the three months that ended in October, Medtronic was once again named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, settled a patent lawsuit, and announced management changes. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this Minneapolis-based company to report that earnings for the period rose 9.5% from a year ago to $0.74 per share. And revenue for the quarter is expected to be 5.0% higher to $3.8 billion.

Declining soup sales couldn't stem the tide of Campbell Soup's (CPB) earnings. The world's largest soup maker saw first-quarter earnings increase 17%, although soup sales dropped 3%.

The sultan of soup reported first-quarter earnings of 87 cents per share, six cents better than the consensus estimate. The strong results were attributed to lower costs and expenses. Unfortunately for Campbell, revenue did not meet expectations, totaling $2.2 billion when the Street expected $2.28 billion.

Talk about stocks that have fallen far and fast. LDK Solar (LDK) was looking to add a bit of momentum with its earnings report, as the stock is battling overhead resistance from its 20-week moving average. This trendline has pushed the stock lower for a majority of 2009 and 2008, during which LDK has dropped from its late-2008 high of $52.40 to its current perch near the $8 level.

The good news is that a news event like an earnings report could lend momentum to any squandering stock, so let's see what LDK reported. The solar panel producer earned 27 cents per share in the third quarter, far worse than last year's same-quarter earnings of 77 cents per share. Quarterly revenue was nearly halved, as LDK brought in $281.9 million compared to $542 million.

Campbell Soup Co. (CPB), which recently raised its quarterly dividend by 10%, is scheduled to discuss its fiscal first-quarter 2010 financial results in a conference call Monday, November 23, at 10:00 AM ET. You can catch the live webcast of the call on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in October, Campbell revamped its Chunky line of soups, was named to the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes, and debuted its first Times Square billboard. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the world's biggest soup maker to report that earnings for that period rose 4.9% from a year ago to $0.81 per share. And revenue for the quarter is expected to be 1.5% higher to $2.3 billion.

Though the earnings season is winding down, and the coming week includes the Thanksgiving holiday in the U.S., plenty of reports are still due out. And analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters don't seem to be expecting too many turkeys among this week's bunch.

Leading U.S. meat processor Tyson Foods Inc. (TSN), which has just named a new chief executive officer and a new chief operating officer, is expected to report fiscal fourth-quarter earnings of $0.26 per share, up from $0.14 in the same period of last year. But revenue is expected to total $6.9 billion, or 4.3% less than a year ago. The full-year forecast is for a profit of $0.25 per share (-16.7) on $26.4 billion (-3.9%) in sales. This dividend payer has offered upside surprises in the past two quarters, topping estimates by 11 cents per share in the third quarter.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (ANN) declining same-store sales offset better-than-expected Q3 earnings.
• Canadian Solar Inc. (CSIQ) reached a new 52-week high after Q3 results handily exceeded expectations.
• Dillard's Inc. (DDS) said that it swung to a Q3 profit due to cost cutting as revenue declined year over year.
• GameStop Corp. (GME) reported uninspiring Q3 numbers that included a slump in same-store sales.
• Home Depot Inc. (HD) lower Q3 earnings and revenue beat analysts' estimates, but shares still declined.

Here are some highlights from this past week's earnings coverage on BloggingStocks:

• ADC Telecommunications Inc. (ADCT) posted a surprise net loss for Q4 and predicted a loss in Q1.
• BJ's Wholesale Club Inc. (BJ) shares fell after Q3 earnings met expectations and offered guidance for FY.
• Dell Inc. (DELL) posted lower-than-expected Q3 earnings, prompting a sell-off of shares.
• Foot Locker Inc. (FL) said Q3 earnings slumped more than analysts' forecast, sending shares lower.
• Gap Inc. (GPS) reported growth of EPS and revenue in Q3 and announced a share buyback program.

I was wrong about Ann Taylor Stores Corp. (ANN). Thought it might make a possible earnings trade. Well, Q3 earnings are out, and it looks like the market has given a thumbs down to my thesis. At the time of this writing, shares were off by almost 4%.

It's funny, because Ann Taylor has done so well in 2009 as a stock that one could have supposed that a wide earnings beat would serve as a catalyst for capital appreciation. The retailer made 20 cents per share on an adjusted basis. According to my earnings preview, 6 cents was the analyst number. I mean, come on, that's an example of solid performance, correct?

ADC Telecommunications (ADCT - option chain) stock is trading lower today after the company posted a fourth-quarter loss last night of $19.8 million, or 20 cents per share, on revenue of $183.9 million. ADCT also forecast a first-quarter adjusted loss of 10 to 0 cents per share on revenue of $250 million to $275 million. Analysts are forecasting a profit of 11 cents per share on revenue of $274 million. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on ADCT.

This morning, ADCT opened at $5.46. So far today the stock has hit a high of $5.93 and a low of $5.35. As of 12:05, ADCT is trading at $5.71, down 93 cents (-14.0%). The chart for ADCT looks bullish and S&P gives ADCT a positive 5 STARS (out of 5) strong buy ranking.