The much-perused lists each represent "an order of magnitude" difference in sales, says Yardley.

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The magnitude of the difference in spending rates is startling.

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Lichtblau notes that the key is the magnitude of the difference and whether the SmartEstimate indicates that earnings are likely to be higher or lower than the consensus number.

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We must realize that the magnitude of the problem now is sufficiently larger than in the past to constitute a difference in kind rather than merely a difference in degree.

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