Wall Street "whisper number" seems to indicate good results with stock up 2% mid day at $287. I do not get it other than as IBM top line revenue does not grow, IBM squeezes blood from rocks and cuts costs to give the appearance of earnings growth. GM, Schlitz beer, Boeing, Enron, Hostess brands, Kodak, Xerox, Woolworth, DEC, Compaq, Nokia, Blockbuster etc etc all tried the same tricks.
A whisper number is an unofficial, unpublished earnings per share (EPS) forecast that circulates among investors, analysts, and financial professionals, often differing from the official consensus estimates. These numbers represent the market's true expectations, often reflecting sentiment and potentially influencing stock prices.