HP Moves Up Release of Quarterly Earnings

Hewlett-Packard Co. said it will report its fourth-quarter earnings today, one day earlier than planned, to avoid releasing its results at the same time as Dell Computer Corp.

HP said it will release its report after the close of the stock market. Analysts and investors are eagerly awaiting the report, and subsequent conference call, to hear an update on HP’s proposed merger with Compaq Computer Corp. Shares of Palo Alto-based HP rose 93 cents to $20.23.Compaq jumped $1.14, or 15%, to $8.80 after an analyst who has been negative on the stock, Lehman Bros. analyst Dan Niles, issued a positive report on the stock. Both shares trade on the NYSE.