Apple is set to announced its fourth quarter results on October 22nd and will host an audio webcast discussing its fourth quarter financial results. The QuickTime webcast of the company's fiscal fourth quarter, which ended on September 30, 2007, will take place with analysts and press following the market close at 5 pm ET. For the quarter, analysts are expecting average earnings-per-share (EPS) of $0.83 on revenues of $6.0 billion. In the year-ago quarter, the company beat analysts' EPS estimates by 22 percent with earnings of $0.62 on revenues of $4.84 billion.

If the company achieves the analyst estimates, it would represent growth of nearly 34 percent, while the industry -- in the September quarter -- is only expected to grow by 12.8 percent and the sector by 19.2 percent.

As Apple's stock continues to shoot upward--closing above $160 last week--yet another analyst firm increased Apple's stock-price target by 30 percent, citing a possible "upside" to profit estimates as sales of the iPhone boost earnings.