Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms: whisper number
whisper number
unofficial earnings estimates made by security analysts. If an analyst is more optimistic about a company's earnings prospects than his official profit estimate reveals, he may speak of a "whisper number" to his clients that is higher than his published numbers. The opposite can be true on the downside. Investors and the media sometimes start to count on "whisper numbers" when earnings are announced. While a company may report profits in line with official estimates, those companies that do not meet their "whisper numbers," disappoint investors, which drives stock prices down.
