IBM’s fourth quarter earnings report will be released on January 17th, and Rex Crum from Marketwatch writes that analysts are predicting revenues to fall, but earnings per share to increase compared to a year ago.

Services, hardware to lead IBM report

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Earnings reports for technology companies begin in earnest next week with one of the most closely watched sector bellwethers, International Business Machines Corp., scheduled to deliver its latest results.

IBM starts things off on Jan. 17, when Big Blue gives its fourth-quarter report. Analysts surveyed by Thomson First Call estimate the company will earn $1.94 a share, on $25.5 billion in revenue, compared with earnings of $1.81 a share, on revenue of $27.7 billion a year ago.

Revenue is expected to be lower because IBM won’t have sales from the personal-computer business, which it sold to Lenovo Group.

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