Alcoa (NYSE:AA) is just the beginning of earnings season. We have several weeks of excitement and gains on the way.

Thanks to a positive start, Wall Street will be all the more ready to move on good reports.

The bulk of earnings are still a couple weeks away from being announced. But, here’s a look at a few companies reporting over the next week — including expectations for each of them:

Thursday, Jan. 12

• Material Sciences (NASDAQ:MASC): Analysts expect nearly 77% earnings growth for the company.
• Sky-mobi (NASDAQ:MOBI) is an aggressive software stock with a history of big earnings surprises. However, analysts are predicting a 14% earnings loss for the latest quarter.

Friday, Jan. 13

• JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM) hasn’t recovered enough to make it a good buy. Analysts expect losses in both sales and earnings for the quarter.
• Meade Instruments (NASDAQ:MEAD) has failed to impress with earnings over recent quarters.

Monday, Jan. 16

• Checkpoint Systems (NYSE:CKP): Analysts are expecting a triple-digit earnings plunge this quarter.
• Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) is scheduled to take off with 94.7% earnings growth for the latest quarter.

We’re entering a very exciting time of the year, my friends. And you can be sure I’ll be here, keeping you up to date on the latest earnings news and market reactions.