Applied Materials is among the stocks reporting next week with earnings momentum

Earnings momentum could serve as a catalyst for stocks such as Applied Materials that are reporting their latest quarterly results next week. Next week serves as a breather after the earnings season mania of the past few weeks. Just eight stocks in the S & P 500 and one component in the Dow Jones Industrial Average are on the docket to post results. Still, analysts have been ratcheting higher expectations on certain names — suggesting positive momentum is on their side. …