Ahead of the Bell: Analysts positive on Apple

Kaufman Bros. analyst Shaw Wu said checks with distributors and retailers indicated that foot traffic was strong at Apple Inc. stores, helped by promotions.

He also noted that the iPod Touch music player was out of stock at Amazon.com, which is normally well stocked.

Wu said these signs support his forecast of Apple posting $10 billion sales in the current quarter.

Doug Reid at Thomas Weisel Partners also talked to representatives at Apple, Best Buy and Wal-Mart stores to gauge sales of Apple products, and came away with the impression that sales were up slightly from last year.

"Specifically, our checks suggest that (Apple) continues to gain market share in PCs, smartphones and MP3 players despite the challenge of higher price points in difficult economic times," Reid wrote.

Apple shares fell $1.58, or 1.7 percent, to $91.09 in pre-market electronic trading as futures for the major market indexes pointed down as well.

Reid was less positive on Dell Inc. after checking with PC salespeople at Best Buy Inc. stores. None of them were strongly recommending Dell PCs, and the company remains a weak competitor in stores, the analyst wrote. Hewlett-Packard Co. computers were preferred over Dell by a five-to-one margin.

Dell traditionally has sold mostly online and through catalogs, but has worked to expand its retail presence. It started selling at Best Buy at the start of the year.

Goldman Sachs analysts David Bailey and Min Park said HP has the most shelf space for PCs and printers at big-box retailers, which should give it a clear advantage throughout the holiday season. Apple sales were also "a bright spot."