The Week Ahead: Tesla, Microsoft, Boeing, Altria Group, and AbbVie to Report Earnings

On Monday, we are expecting Tesla's TSLA earnings report to start off the week. Despite the auto manufacturer's dominance in the industry, we predict that fierce competition will emerge at some point in this decade.

For Tuesday, we are looking out for reports from 3M MMM, Starbucks SBUX, Advanced Micro Devices AMD, Visa V, General Electric GE, and Alphabet GOOGL. Microsoft MSFT also joins our list of reports expected on Tuesday. After acquiring Nuance Communications, a leading company in artificial intelligence, the wide-moat software company can dive deeper into the healthcare space.

Ford Motor F, Apple AAPL, and Facebook FB are on our list for Wednesday, as well as Boeing BA. On April 20, the aerospace and defense firm announced an increased retirement age of 70. Current CEO Dave Calhoun is 64. He stepped into the role in January 2020 with three major tasks: get the 737 Max recertified, rebuild the order book for the Max, and convert the firm's inventory to cash. Shortly after, the pandemic hit and greatly impacted global air traffic. Despite the difficult start, we think Calhoun has managed to help the firm achieve its goals.

On Thursday, our eyes are on T. Rowe Price TROW, Merck MRK, McDonald's MCD, Amazon.com AMZN, and Altria Group MO. According to media reports, the Biden administration is considering lowering the nicotine and menthol levels in cigarettes in the United States. Discussion about nicotine reductions and tobacco bans have been swirling around for years. So far, we do not see this happening anytime soon.

To close out the week, we expect reports from Exxon Mobil XOM, Chevron CVX, and AbbVie ABBV. Narrow-moat AbbVie has a strong portfolio, but the drug manufacturer's earnings performance lies in the hands of its key drug, Humira. Humira is approved for rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, and Crohn's disease, but biosimilar pressure in international markets has the potential to lead to a decline in sales over the next few years.