RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. – IBM, Cree, and Intel are scheduled to report earnings results on Tuesday as a ton of companies plan to release financials throughout the week.

IBM

International Business Machines, whose share price pulled back last week from a multi-year high, is scheduled to report its third-quarter 2012 results after the closing bell today.

Analyst consensus for IBM is looking for $3.61 in earnings per share on $25.78 billion in revenue for expected year-over-year growth of 10 percent in earnings per share on a 3 percent decline in revenues.

Cree

Demonstrating its industry leadership, Cree posted solid results last quarter, with a 26 percent year-over-year and 8 percent quarter-over-quarter increase, respectively, and ended its fiscal year for 2012 with $1.2 billion in revenues. Cree is set to announce its first quarter 2013 earnings today.

While analysts remain positive on the company’s future outlook, the macroeconomic headwinds could restrict its short-term growth. Surplus in the LED market, consequent decline in prices and downward pressure on margins – are some of the key trends currently plaguing the LED industry.

Intel

Intel Corporation, the world’s largest maker of chips for PCs, reports on Tuesday its results for the third quarter, which saw a sharp slowdown in worldwide PC sales.

It’s clear already that the latest quarter was a bad one for Intel and the PC industry in general. What’s less clear is what this means in the long run. Were consumers holding off, waiting for the launch of Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 8, later this month, or have they permanently shifted their spending away from PCs and toward tablets and smartphones? Intel’s forecast for the fourth quarter will likely weigh heavier than the results of the third quarter.

Analysts expect earnings of 50 cents per share on $13.2 billion in sales. Intel has also forecast sales for $13.2 billion. Intel usually gives a revenue forecast for the new quarter. Analysts are expecting $13.8 billion.

In the third quarter of 2011, Intel earned 65 cents per share. Sales were $14.2 billion, 7 percent higher than the forecast for the most recent quarter.

Analysis

The big story on the earnings front is that there are 465 companies (80 that are S&P 500 companies) reporting results this week. Total earnings for these 465 companies are expected to drop 4.3 percent from the same period last year, with revenues declining 2.3 percent, according to Zacks.com.

EBay, Google, Microsoft, Advanced Micro Devices, Verizon Communications, and several other tech companies also will release earnings later this week.