Apple reported that in the period, it had revenue of $15.7 billion, compared to revenue of $9.73 billion in the year ago second quarter period. Profit came in at $3.25 billion or $3.51 on a per share basis, compared to quarterly profit of $1.83 billion or $2.01 per share in Q2 2009. Analysts had been forecasting revenue of $14.7 billion and earnings per share of $3.11.

For the current quarter, the company is forecasting revenue of $18 billion, against analysts’ forecasts of $17 billion and earnings of $3.44 per share, against analysts’ forecasts of $3.83.

In the period, Apple sold 8.4 million iPhones, up 61 percent from last year, 3.3 million iPads, 1.7 milion of the company’s latest iPhone, which just went on the market towards the end of the quarter and 3.47 million Macs, a 33% increase and 9.41 million iPods, which was an eight percent decline in unit sales.

Apple shares are up $9.37 or 3.72% on the news in pre-market trading this morning.

Operating income rose from a loss of $12 million in Q2 2009, to $3.98 billion, while net income rose to $2.88 billion, from a loss of $398 million Q2 2009. Results from the second quarter of 2009, were affected by a $1.06 billion fine that was levied on the company by the European Union.

The company’s gross margin, which is closely followed by analysts, rose to 67%, from 51% a year ago. Intel had previously announced that it expects to realize margins of 64%, plus or minus 2%.

On a per share basis, the company earned $0.51, compared to the $0.43 analysts had been forecasting, on revenues of $10.25 billion. The company had also provided its own revenue guidance of $10.2 billion, plus or minus $400 million.

Intel’s stock rose as much as $1.72 or 8.1% in after hours trading on the news.

At 2:03 PM, the stock is up $3.10 to $39.

Back on January 15, the company announced that its board was conducting a preliminary review of strategic alternatives for the company. The news sent the stock from a close of $25.47 the day prior, to a close of $29.07 on the 15th.

The $33.86 per share price represents a 32.9% premium over the closing price on January 14. IDC expects that the deal will close in the third quarter.

Dendreon’s stock rose $3.88 to $54.06, a gain of 7.73%. Yesterday, the shares rose $10.56, on news that the FDA was approving the company’s Provenge drug, which was developed for the treatment of prostate cancer.

According to Dendreon, “PROVENGE is designed to induce an immune response against prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), an antigen expressed in most prostate cancers, and is the first in a new therapeutic class known as autologous cellular immunotherapies.”

The shares were halted at about 12:35 PM on pending news and at that point, were up about $5 on the day to $45.50. The stock started trading again at 3:30 PM and hit a high of $53.51, but ended the session at $50.18, up $10.56 for a gain of 26.65% on the day.

Dendreon has risen from about $4.25 at the end of March 2009 on the possible approval of Provenge by the FDA.

The stock dropped $8.71 to close at $42.30, a loss of 17.06% in regular session trading.

Yesterday after the bell, the company reported that for the first quarter of 2010, it earned $10.8 million or $0.58 per share, which was a penny ahead of the consensus estimate of $0.57.

Revenue for the period was $152.3 million against forecasts of $154.4 million.