An International Spectacle (NYSE: IBM)

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM) prepares to report earnings after the close. Analysts are expecting $2.75 per share on average on revenues of $24.12 billion.

IBM, which works in all sorts of businesses is now focusing its efforts on building a smarter planet. The company desigs software, and also works on smart grid applications.Recently, the company announced that it acquired PSS systems, a privately held data management company. The company has also been working on a smart metering system for electricity and gas in Nevada.

Investors should be pleased that the tech giant has turned greener and will hopefully bring in the profits.

Google, Apple, and IBM lead the way (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: AAPL) (NYSE: IBM)

Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) had reported an excellent quarter last week which sent the stock up $60 on Friday. The stock continues to shine in today's trading, up over $12 per share.

IBM (NYSE:IBM) and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) report today after the close. Analyst are expecting blow out quarters from these two companies. Apple earnings are expected to top $4 per share on strong iPad sales, and a strong back to school season.

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD) Caterpillar (NYSE: CAT) Chevron, (NYSE:CVX) MMM (NYSE:MMM) and IBM (NYSE:IBM) Influence The Dow

These stocks have the same influence on the Dow as the seventeen lowest priced companies in the Dow. To put this into perspective these five companies have a market capitalization of $540 billion while the 17 companies with the lowest prices in the Dow have a market capitalization of over $1.7 trillion. The companies which do not count as much in the make up of the Dow include J.P Morgan and GE among many others. A company such as GE has very little influence in the Dow despite being one of America's largest companies.

Allan Edwards the CEO of The Markets Are Open recommended switching the Dow from a price weighted index to that of market capitalization. He said "I Like history but I also don't like CAT having over 3 times the influence as GE." Edwards was referring to the fact Caterpillar stock is more than 3 times as influential in the Dow as GE. The Dow Jones current system uses a Dow Divisor which is approximately 8, which is multiplied by the price of each stock, then added up to get the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

A Tech Giant That Runs Like A Machine (NYSE: IBM)

International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE: IBM), the information and technology giant, jumped through $140 per share on news that strong corporate spending would help the innovative company continue to increase its revenue. IBM, which works in all sorts of businesses and now focuses on building a smarter planet announced that it acquired PSS systems, a privately held data management company. IBM is also working on smart grid applications and is doing some work with electric and gas metering in Nevada. The company is truly operating on all cylinders.