Bear Stearns today raised its 2005 earnings forecast for Apple to US$2.25 a share from $2.10 due to signs that hard drive-based iPod sales will not see the normal seasonal weakness during the March quarter. Analyst Andrew Neff also raised his year-end 2005 stock price target to $97 from $87 and his 2006 earnings forecast to $3.05 a share from $2.80.