Tetra Tech Inc. (NASDAQ: TTEK) provides consulting, engineering, construction, and technical services for resource management and infrastructure in the United States and internationally.

Clearly, the company has a stake in the proposed rebuilding of infrastructure that serves as part of the foundation of the latest economic stimulus packages.

Don't look now, but Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE) is up about 20% in the past month. People gotta eat, and, thanks to the recession, they're opting to eat at home more often.

Sara Lee reports earnings on August 12, and analysts expect earnings per share to be 5 cents less than a year ago. Last quarter, the company blew out the estimate by nearly 40%.

With sentiment mixed (only a third of analysts rate the shares a "buy"), another beat this quarter should keep the rally intact.

Buy SLE call options.

Next: Earnings Trade #4

With strong numbers from IBM (NYSE: IBM) and Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), along with some bullish comments from Dell (NASDAQ: DELL), look for positive results from Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) when it reports earnings on August 18.

After seeing a dip earlier this month, the shares rebounded to hit a nine-month high. Sentiment is somewhat optimistic, but the stock should ride the bullish coattails of its competitors heading into earnings.

Buy HPQ call options.

Next: Earnings Trade #3

Cerner Corp. (NASDAQ: CERN) is a health care information technology provider, and that's a hot place to be right now.

The company reports on July 29, and earnings expectations are modest. In fact, only a third of covering analysts consider CERN a "buy," which leaves plenty of room for upgrades. The stock needs to break through potential resistance at $65, and earnings could give it that boost.

Buy CERN call options.

Next: Earnings Trade #2

Beating the Street at the earnings game is all about knowing the market's true expectations for a stock.

Knowing the market's expectations -- not just the analyst expectations -- for a stock will often provide the edge necessary to turn earnings season into a profit opportunity.

The more data and trends you can look at to determine not only what investors expect, but also how investors are positioning themselves for the expected move, the better.