A Good Apple Could Keep Tech Afloat

Editor's Note: This column by Steve Birenberg is a special bonus for TheStreet.com and RealMoney readers. It appeared on Street Insight on Jan. 17 at 2:41 p.m. EST. To sign up for Street Insight, where you can read all of Birenberg's commentary, please click here.

---

Apple Computer (AAPL Quote) reports after the close on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Following Steve Jobs' comments at the Macworld Expo last week, estimates have moved up sharply. Jobs guided to $5.7 billion in revenue for the December quarter, and analysts who have adjusted their estimates are tightly clustered around this figure. There was no specific guidance on EPS at Macworld, so these estimates are more varied. The range is from 59 cents to 69 cents per share, up about 10 cents from before Jobs' speech. Estimates have risen sharply for fiscal 2006 as well. The range of EPS estimates is now $1.95 to $2.53, up about 30 cents at the midpoint. Revenue estimates for 2006 range from $19.4 billion to $22.3 billion, up $2 billion to $3 billion. ...