Earnings Smackdown

How many iPads did Apple sell last quarter?

The forecasts range from 14.8 million to 23 million. The median estimate was 18 million.

UPDATE: Tim Cook's announcement at the iPad mini event that Apple sold 100 million iPads as of two weeks ago -- only 16 million more than Q3's total -- has thrown most analysts for a loop. They've been scrambling ever since to adjust their models.

FORTUNE -- Talk about an expectations gap! You could drive a truckload MORE

Look whose Apple price targets are underwater (updated)

As Apple's share price passes $665, are some analysts having second thoughts?

FORTUNE -- After Apple (AAPL)'s third fiscal quarter earnings came in below Wall Street's expectations, several analysts -- including Goldman Sach's Bill Shope, ISI's Brian Marshall and BMO's Keith Bachman -- lowered their 12-month price targets (to $790, $710 and $680, respectively).

At least their targets are still higher than Apple's current price. After setting new record highs two sessions MORE

Apple's rare miss: Katy Huberty nailed it. The bloggers blew it.

The professional in Q3 made the independents look like what most of them are: Amateurs

FORTUNE -- "Don't play darts with Katy Huberty," one of our readers commented after Apple (AAPL) reported earnings Tuesday that fell short of every other analyst's expectations. "She's on a hot streak."

If ever there was a quarter in which it paid an Apple analyst to be cautious, this was it. Morgan Stanley's Katy Huberty, whose low-ball MORE

Apple's earnings disappoint. Shares fall over $30 after hours

Reports profits of $8.8 billion on sales of $35 billion. Wall Street was looking for $37 billion.

FORTUNE -- Apple (AAPL) did a rare thing Tuesday: It disappointed Wall Street.

Although it reported sales and earnings ahead of its (typically) low guidance, and although CEO Tim Cook declared himself "thrilled" that the company sold a record 17 million iPads in the quarter, the stock immediately dropped more than $30 in after-hours trading.

Analysts had MORE

All eyes on Apple's earnings: Estimates are sharply divided

The pros are looking for earnings of $10.33 on sales of $37B. The indies are at $12.31 and $41.5B.

FORTUNE -- It's one of the most closely watched corporate events of the season: Apple's (AAPL) earnings report for the most recent quarter, set for release after the markets close today. It will be followed, I'd wager, by more analysts, investors and fund managers than the earnings statements of any other public company, MORE

Which way will Apple move after Tuesday's earnings report?

Bernstein's Toni Sacconaghi and Bullish Cross' Andy Zaky offer sharply contrasting views

FORTUNE -- "We see a reasonable probability that Apple will miss consensus revenue expectations due to macroeconomic weakness in China and Europe, a product cycle lull in the iPhone, a later than expected introduction of the new iPad into China, and the late quarter introduction of new Mac notebooks."

So begins the note to clients issued Friday by Bernstein's Toni MORE

Handicapping Apple's quarterly revenue and earnings: Q3 2012

The revenue estimates range from a low of $35.1 billion to a high of $46.4 billion

FORTUNE -- Apple (AAPL) is scheduled to report its third fiscal quarter earnings next week, and despite the $11 billion difference between the most conservative professional revenue estimate and the most bullish independent's, the gap between the two groups is not as wide as its been in recent quarters.

That's probably a good thing, for both groups.

After MORE

Apple's iPod line: A $7.5 billion business that gets no respect

Sales may be falling, but they still represent nearly 10% of the company's revenue stream

FORTUNE -- You might think that after tracking them for nearly a dozen years, the analysts who follow Apple (AAPL) would have a better handle on the company's quarterly iPod sales. But Apple analysts tend to focus on the product lines that are still growing like gangbusters -- chiefly the iPad and the iPhone -- and they offer iPod MORE

Analysts scramble to fine tune Apple estimates -- updated

A whole lot of changes one week before the company reports its fiscal Q3 earnings

FORTUNE -- A flurry of analysts notes crossed our desk this morning, most of them adjusting their estimates in advance of Apple's (AAPL) third quarter earnings report, scheduled for Tuesday, July 24.

Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster has fudged his iPhone unit sales numbers -- replacing a firm 29 million with an estimated 28-29 million -- and trimmed MORE

Mac set to outgrow the Windows market for 25th quarter in a row

PC sales have stalled, but most analysts believe Mac unit sales grew 12% to 14% last quarter

FORTUNE -- According to Gartner and IDC, the worldwide personal computer market -- including both Microsoft (MSFT) Windows PCs and Apple (AAPL) Macs -- shrank by 0.1% in the June quarter, although the two research firms disagree about whether Mac sales grew or not. (See here.)

Our panel of 61 analysts -- 27 from Wall MORE