Did the Street Get PC’s Totally Wrong?

Chatter on the Street Wednesday had everything to do with how the Street could be so wrong about the demand for PCs.

Earlier in the week, investors were caught off guard, entirely, by blockbuster results from PC chipmaker, Intel .

Instead of showing lackluster demand, which was what the Street expected, the results showed sales rose 17% from a year ago to $8.6 billion. And Intel's sales forecast was equally bullish - up 19%.

In fact the results were so strong, tech bulls were able to mow down bears, pushing Intel stock above both the 50-day and 200-day, former key levels of resistance.

Those results fly in the face of the latest research from Gartner and IDC, the latter firm said world-wide PC shipments declined 3.2% in the first quarter.

But IDC VP Loren Loverde tells us that the Street may not entirely understand his firm’s forecasts.

His research involves looking at PC shipments (from companies such as H-P or Lenovo) into their channels, or directly to users. "That’s later in the supply chain," he says. By contrast ”Intel is a leading indictor,” he says because its chips go into the PCs.

And he reminds that in the second half of the year IDC has forecast double digit growth in the second half of the year, which he says is consistent with the results from Intel.

______________________________________________________
Got something to to say? Send us an e-mail at [e-mail] and your comment might be posted on the Rapid Recap. If you'd prefer to make a comment, but not have it published on our Web site, send those e-mails to [e-mail].

Trader disclosure: On April 20, 2011, the following stocks and commodities mentioned or intended to be mentioned on CNBC’s "Fast Money" were owned by the "Fast Money" traders; Finerman and Finerman's Firm own (AAPL); Finerman and Finerman's Firm own (BP); Finerman owns (C); Finerman and Finerman's Firm own (CVS); Finerman's Firm owns (HPQ); Finerman's Firm owns (IBM); Finerman's Firm owns (JPM), is long (JPM) leaps; Finerman owns (JPM); Finerman and Finerman's firm owns (MSFT); Finerman's firm owns (TGT); Finerman owns (USO); Finerman's Firm is short (IWM), (MDY), (SPY); Finerman's Firm is long S&P 500 puts; Finermna's Firm is long Russell 200 Puts; Weiss owns (CSX); Weiss is long (AAPL) calls; Weiss owns (EMC); Weiss owns (AKAM); Weiss owns (QCOM); Weiss owns (SMCI); Weiss owns (NAV); Weiss owns (BTU); Weiss owns (JPM); Weiss owns (VZ); Weiss owns (HBAN); Weiss owns (KEY); Weiss owns (CMA); Weiss owns (GDX); Weiss owns (DRR); Weiss owns (TBT); Weiss owns (UUP); Weiss owns (MDRX); Weiss owns (NIHD); Weiss is long (IWM) puts; Weiss is short (X); Weiss is short (AKS); Adami owns (AGU); Adami owns (C); Adami owns (GS); Adami owns (INTC); Adami owns (MSFT); Adami owns (NUE); Adami owns (BTU); Terranova owns (JPM); Terranova owns (XOM); Terranova owns (OXY); Terranova owns (C); Terranova owns (VRTS); Terranova owns (BAX); Terranova owns (BX); Terranova owns (AKAM); Terranova owns (TCK); Terranova owns (HOC); Terranova owns (UPL); Terranova owns (V)

Louis Navellier
Funds Managed By Louis Navellier Own (VMW), (JNJ), (CAT), (DE), (BWA), (CMI), (FFIV), (AAPL)

Mike Khouw
Cantor Fitzgerald is a Market Maker in (SNDK)

Finerman SOT 2/8/11
Finerman owns (AVP) Calls

For Joe Terranova
Terranova is Chief Market Strategist of Virtus Investment Partners, LTD
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (ABAX)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (AMKR)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CCG)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CASS)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (CSVI)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (EXR)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (FCFS)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (IGE)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (KRC)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (LDR)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (NCRI)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (DBV)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLB)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLV)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLP)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLY)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLE)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLF)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLI)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLK)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (XLU)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (WDFC)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of (YDNT)
Virtus Investment Partners Owns More Than 1% Of DOMINO'S PIZZA UK & IRL PLC

For Colin Gillis
**No Disclosures

For Loren Loverde
**No Disclosures

Late additions:
Seymour owns (AAPL)
Seymour owns (BX)
Seymour owns (F)
Seymour owns (POT)
Jon Najarian owns (AAPL)
Jon Najarian owns (YUM)
Jon Najarian owns (PLXS)

CNBC.com with wires.