Ahead of the Tape
In What Direction Will Intel Point U.S.?</br></br>Intel's earnings growth last year helped power gains in the stock market and signaled recovery in the broader economy. The company's predictive power is worth keeping in mind should its fourth-quarter earnings report on Thursday disappoint.</br></br>The semiconductor company is expected to post earnings of 30 cents a share, up from four cents a share in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. Intel's revenue is forecast to hit $10.2 billion, up 23%.</br></br>The chip maker has benefited from a stronger recovery in demand for servers and personal computers than initially expected. Consumer electronics were a bright spot of the holiday sales season, likely helping bolster Intel's fourth-quarter results.</br></br>The company's shares, which closed Wednesday at $20.96, up 35 cents, or 1.7%, have surged 67% since March, outpacing the Dow Jones Industrial Average's 63% gain during the same period. Even so, some say Intel has further to rise.