guidance

There's always plenty to chew on in an Apple earnings report, but here are the seven numbers that investors should keep in mind as they assess the tech rock star's blowout quarter.

As earnings reports for the first quarter roll in, U.S. companies are beating the estimates of analysts at a rate not seen in more than a decade. Yet stocks have languished. The S&P 500 has fallen about 2% in April. So why aren't investors impressed?

In an open apology to Netflix customers, CEO Reed Hastings took the blame for the price hikes and service changes that generated such negative reactions. He also announced that Netflix was splitting its DVD-by-mail business off under a new name: Qwikster.

Earnings season is near, and investors, as always are worried. Don't fret too much, though: Odds are that your company will come out on top on the bottom line -- because most do. But what will separate the winners from the whiners for the coming quarter? Here are the three key factors.

The S&P 500 gained about 13% last year, but it didn't get much help while companies were releasing results. That index was unchanged or lower for all four of 2010's earnings seasons, and it could repeat this pattern now.

As travel picks up, Marriott International posted a third-quarter profit of $83 million, up from a loss of $466 million in the year-ago quarter. But shares are down after the company forecast that fourth-quarter earnings might be less than analysts expect.

Yes, big-box retailers Home Depot and Wal-Mart posted second-quarter profits yesterday that beat analyst expectations, and both boosted their full-year guidance slightly. But their results suggest consumers are holding back making big purchases and not even steep price-cuts are luring customers...

Alcoa reports its second-quarter results after the market closes Monday. But of much greater importance than what it -- and the slew of companies to follow -- earned in the period is what it says about future growth prospects. [With video]

The East Coast heat wave is warming up more than sidewalks: It's also helping retailers shake up sales. Merchants are expected to report healthy numbers when they post their June sales figures Thursday, and several could update their second-quarter guidance as a result.

Money transfer giant Western Union reported a 6.6% profit decline from a year ago, but its uninspired outlook for 2010 scared investors most, sending its stock price down more than 9.5% in early morning trading.