The earnings season starts in force as early in the year many mid-cap companies report their quarterly earnings. Here are three names to consider: Acuity Brands, Helen of Troy, and Lamb Weston Holdings.

A mid-cap company is one with a market capitalization between $2 billion and $10 billion. To find out the market capitalization of any company, investors multiply the number of shares listed with the current stock market price.

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Early in the new trading year, some large and mid-cap companies report their quarterly earnings. Here are three mid-cap stocks to buy ahead of the earnings call: Acuity Brands, Helen of Troy, and Lamb Weston Holdings.

Acuity Brands (AYI)

Acuity Brands is an American company from Atlanta, Georgia. The company offers lighting and building management solutions. It operates in the electrical components and equipment industry and serves customers such as electric utilities or retail home improvement centers.

Acuity Brands pays a quarterly dividend, although the dividend yield and the payout ratios are quite small – 0.24%, respectively 4.65%. It operates with a gross profit margin of 42.62%, much higher than the 29.29% sector median. Moreover, the EBIT margin for the past twelve months is also higher than the sector median, this time by 45.49%.

The stock price is up 80.36% YTD and investors expect EPS of $2.40.

Helen of Troy (HELE)

Helen of Troy is based in El Paso, Texas, United States, and it is active in the consumer discretionary sector. It sells products such as housewares (e.g., coffee makers, household cleaning products) and health & home products, such as thermometers or blood pressure monitors. It uses mass merchandisers to sell its products, and it was founded in 1968.

The stock price is up 10.09% YTD and the company made news recently as it acquired Osprey Packs for a little over $400 million. On January 6, Helen of Troy announces its quarterly earnings and investors expect $EPS of 3.16 on the quarter.

Lamb Weston Holdings (LW)

Lamb Weston Holdings is an American company from Eagle, Idaho. Founded in 1950, it operates in the packaged foods and meats industry. It sells frozen potatoes and commercial ingredients, among others, and it reports its quarterly earnings early next year, on January 6. The market expects EPS of $0.33 on the quarter and the company missed the EPS estimate in the previous quarter.