HEXUS.sharewatch: Earnings season results vary

Several technology giants announced their Q3 earnings last week and there are more to come. On the whole, the announcements were pretty positive, but that hasn't necessarily manifested itself in share price rises.

Intel, Google and AMD all showed good sequential improvement, but of the three only Google seems to have pleased investors. We can only assume that Intel's results were already priced into its shares and, considering it once more failed to make a profit, AMD did well to mostly hang on to its recent gains.

The two biggies due to announce this week are Apple - later today - and Microsoft on the 23rd - a day after it launches Windows 7. If last week's movements are anything to go by, investors are expecting more of Microsoft than they are Apple.

The Dow Jones closed above 10,000 for the first time since Lehman Brothers went Pete Tong last Thursday, but ended the week just below. However, the relatively small increases following generally good quarterlies imply the results were already priced into markets.