Hewlett-Packard's Solo Flight

A better-than-expected fourth quarter would represent a major milestone in Hewlett-Packard's(HPQ Quote) turnaround -- particularly after rival Dell's(DELL Quote) recent woes.

But when H-P reports its financial results later Thursday, it also will have to convince investors that it can provide significant growth in the year ahead.

H-P and Dell appear to be on opposite trajectories. While Dell has seen its stock pushed down following back-to-back quarterly misses, H-P's stock is up more than 30% for the year, closing at $28.27 on Wednesday. ...