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With Apple announcing on Wednesday the dates for its Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), people have already started to talk about the possibility of the event setting the stage for the debut of the mysterious iPhone 5. But while the WWDC conference has been used as a launching pad for two iPhones (the iPhone 3GS in 2009 and the iPhone 4 in 2010), 2012's event, which will go from June 11-15, is said to focus more on software, rather than speculation and rumors.

Shares of Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN), the No. e-retailer, rose slightly Thursday ahead of the company?s report of first-quarter results that might beat analyst estimates.

At its annual developers conference, which will be held June 11-15 at the Moscone West convention center in San Francisco, Apple promises five days of details and insights on iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion and no iPhone. Tickets sell out in just two hours.

Stocks rose on Wednesday after Apple's blowout quarter overshadowed a drop in durable goods and further lifted optimism in an earnings season that has far outstripped expectations.

Shares of Sprint Nextel (NYSE: S), the No. 3 U.S. telecommunications company, jumped as much as 7 percent after the company reported a lower-than-expected first-quarter loss.

Stocks advanced on Wednesday after a blowout quarter from Apple further lifted optimism in an earnings season that has far outstripped expectations.

Apple Inc's quarterly profit almost doubled after a jump in iPhone sales, particularly for the greater China region, blowing past Wall Street expectations and soothing fears the device was past its best days for sharp growth.

Wall Street extended its love affair with Apple Inc as strong iPhone sales allayed concerns it was losing market share in the cut-throat smartphone market, with analysts again rushing to raise price targets on the shares of the world' most valuable company.

Wall Street jumped on Wednesday after forecast-beating results from Apple cleared away a weeks-old market overhang and lifted optimism in an earnings season already far outstripping expectations.

Stock index futures pointed to a higher open on Wednesday after forecast-beating results from Apple removed a weeks-old market overhang and lifted optimism in a corporate earnings season that is already far outstripping expectations.

Shares of Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, skyrocketed 10 percent before the markets opened Wednesday on forecasts of further recordbreaking earnings. That sent overall U.S. markets up.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday after forecast-beating results from Apple removed a weeks-old market overhang and lifted optimism in a corporate earnings season already outstripping expectations by a wide margin.

The companies whose shares are moving in pre-market trade Wednesday are: Apple Inc, Arm Holdings, Broadcom Corp, Sprint Nextel, Eli Lilly, Amgen Inc, Harley-Davidson, Baidu Inc, ABB Ltd and FMC Technologies.

Stock index futures rose on Wednesday after forecast-beating results from Apple removed a weeks-old market overhang and lifted optimism in a corporate earnings season already outstripping expectations by a wide margin.

Asian stock markets ended mixed Wednesday as market participants awaited the Fed meeting outcome for any hint at monetary easing.

Futures on major US stock indices point to higher opening on Wednesday ahead of the US Federal Reserve?s meeting and durable goods order data.

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Tuesday after strong earnings and upbeat outlooks from big manufacturers like 3M Co , but Apple's slide ahead of its results drove the Nasdaq down.

Asian stock markets advanced Wednesday as signs of an improvement in the US housing market and better-than-expected quarterly earnings from corporate majors buoyed sentiment.

For the 19th time in the last 20 quarters, Apple reported sales that exceeded Wall Street's estimates. Not bad for a company started out of a garage. On Tuesday, Apple followed-up its most successful quarter in company history with its Q2 2012 financial results.

Apple Inc on Tuesday reported quarterly revenue that handily beat Wall Street's estimates, driven by strong demand for its iPhones and iPads, sending its shares more than 5 percent higher.

Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL), the world's most valuable technology company, reported second-quarter financial results that blew past analyst expectations.

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Tuesday after strong earnings and upbeat outlooks from big manufacturers like 3M Co , but Apple's slide ahead of its results drove the Nasdaq down.

The Dow and the S&P 500 rose on Tuesday after strong earnings from big manufacturers and AT&T, but the Nasdaq fell with Apple and other large-cap tech companies.

You may not be able to see or hear it, but new research has found that one in five Mac computers carry Windows or Mac Malware.

Apple Inc infringed on a Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc patent in making its popular iPhones, iPads and other products, a judge for the International Trade Commission ruled on Tuesday.

Stocks rose on Tuesday after strong earnings from big manufacturers and AT&T, but gains were capped on Nasdaq ahead of results from Apple and after a downbeat forecast from Netflix.

Apple is ready to announce its second quarter results today, April 24, 2012, at approximately 5 p.m. ET. Bolstered mostly by the release of the company's third-generation iPad, Apple is expected to announce a great quarter, although not quite as record-breaking as its last one.

With the iPhone 5 release date still unconfirmed, rumors are spreading that Apple is planning a nano version of its next-generation smartphone, due to be released most likely in June or September 2012.

Stock index futures crept higher on Tuesday after sharp losses in the previous session but continued concerns about Europe's debt crisis could mean gains will be slight.