Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Apple Stock

EARNINGS SEASON HAS been rocky for major U.S. tech companies, and Apple, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) investors are likely uneasy heading into the company's third-quarter report on Nov. 2. However, analysts say the newest generation of iPhones have been a big hit, and Apple will likely issue some impressive fiscal first quarter guidance. Consensus analyst estimates are calling for fiscal fourth-quarter earnings per share of $2.78, up from $2.07 in the same quarter a year ago. Analysts are also expecting revenue of $61.59 billion, up 17.1 percent. Analysts are predicting Apple will report 48 million iPhones sold in the quarter, up from 46 million last year.