This week is considered by many to be the most critical of earnings season. Dozens of S&P 500 companies will be reporting including most of the FAANG stocks, Microsoft, Shopify and big oil companies ExxonMobil and Chevron.

If you want to know what the economy looks like, this week will tell us.

These five companies have mixed records during earnings season, with some being perfect, and others missing big in the last few quarters.

But all eyes will be on them as they’re in the popular technology, social media, manufacturing and energy industries. And some were pandemic favorites.

Will they surprise on earnings this week? 

5 Intriguing Earnings Charts

1.    ServiceNow, Inc. (NOW Quick QuoteNOW - Free Report)

ServiceNow hasn’t missed in 5 years. What a great earnings surprise track record.

Shares of ServiceNow are down 42% year-to-date but it isn’t cheap. ServiceNow trades with a forward P/E of 49.

Yet, earnings are expected to be up 23% this year and another 26% next year.

Is this a buying opportunity in ServiceNow?

2.    Caterpillar Inc. (CAT Quick QuoteCAT - Free Report)

Caterpillar has beat on earnings 9 quarters in a row. Shares have outperformed this year, declining just 5.8% year-to-date.

Shares of Caterpillar are cheap with a forward P/E of just 14.9.

It also pays a dividend, currently yielding 2.5%.

Should investors be looking at equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar this year?

3.    Shopify (SHOP Quick QuoteSHOP - Free Report)

Shopify was a pandemic darling but that appears to be over now. It has missed big two quarters in a row.

Shares of Shopify have plunged 78% year-to-date. Are they cheap?

Shopify doesn’t have a P/E as earnings are expected to be negative this year. It also doesn’t pay a dividend.

How much lower can Shopify go?

4.    Pinterest (PINS Quick QuotePINS - Free Report)

Pinterest was also a big pandemic winner as people turned to their phone for connection, and entertainment, during the start of the pandemic.

Pinterest is coming off a big miss last quarter but it otherwise has a good 5-year surprise record with just 3 misses since 2019.

Shares of Pinterest are down 38% year-to-date but aren’t cheap. Pinterest has a forward P/E of 40.

Should Pinterest be on your watch list?

5.    ExxonMobil Corp. (XOM Quick QuoteXOM - Free Report)

ExxonMobil has beat 3 out of the last 4 quarters. The energy sector is the best performing sector this year. It’s not surprising, then, that ExxonMobil shares are up 73% this year.

ExxonMobil is cheap, with a forward P/E of 8.

It also pays a dividend, currently yielding 3.3%.

Is it too late to buy ExxonMobil after the big rally?