The company's president predicted higher sales and earnings for the 1989 fiscal year.

Analysts had predicted earnings of $1.04 to $1.25 a share.

And it predicted earnings of $2.58 to $2.85 a share for the first half.

At that time, executives had predicted earnings of 30 to 32 cents.

Analysts had been predicting earnings of $1.65 to $1.85 a share for the first quarter.

Perhaps never before, economists say, has education been such an important factor in predicting future earnings.

Earlier this year, the company predicted earnings of $3.70 a share.

Many had predicted earnings of about 18 cents a share.

So why aren't these powerful analysts better at predicting earnings of the companies they follow?

Wall Street is predicting higher earnings this year and next.