Apple's Earnings 2010

Technology stocks started the week on an upbeat note, as most sector leaders closed with gains Monday on a day highlighted by the upcoming first- quarter earnings report from Apple Inc.

Apple (AAPL) shares rose $5.32, or 2.7%, to $203.07 as investors awaited the results of what is historically the company's busiest business period.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters estimate Apple earned $2.07 a share on $ 12.06 billion of sales in the quarter ended in December. During the year-earlier period, Apple earned $1.78 a share on $10.17 billion in sales.

Apple's earnings report is expected to kick off a big week of attention on the tech giant. The company also has scheduled an event for Wednesday at which it is expected to unveil a tablet version of the Mac computer.

Semiconductor giant Texas Instruments Inc. (TXN) saw its shares rise 58 cents to $23.6, while VMware Inc. (VMW) shares climbed 42 cents to $42 in advance of both companies' earnings results.

The Nasdaq Composite Index (RIXF) ended the day with a gain of 5.5 points to close at 2,210. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index (SOX) climbed 1.4% and the Morgan Stanley High Tech 35 Index (MSH) also ended the day in positive territory.

Gains also came from Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ), IBM Corp. (IBM), EMC Corp. ( EMC), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Dell Inc. (DELL).

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
 01-25-10 1617ET
 Copyright (c) 2010 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.

Source