Apple’s Q3 Earnings: Will There Be Surprises?
The tech industry is still busily releasing earning statements this month. IBM and Google have already released impressive numbers. Microsoft invoked gasps by reporting its first loss since it went public almost three decades ago. Apple is up next. The company is scheduled to reveal the results from its third fiscal quarter tomorrow.
Industry watchers are expecting Apple to exceed its forecasts again, but the company is known for being extra conservative when projecting its financial performance. Last quarter, sales of iPhones and iPads accounted for 75 percent of Apple’s $39.18 billion in revenue, and the uber popular devices are likely to continue to leading sales. Analysts expect Apple to report 28 to 29 million iPhones, and China will likely be responsible for a significant portion of that demand.
This is also the first full quarter since the third generation iPad has been available. Wall Street projections of how many iPads Apple has managed to sell are not consistent, but all the estimates have one thing in common – the number is likely to be large. The constant stream of rumors suggesting Apple might be close to releasing a 7-inch iPad mini, iPhone 5 and an Apple television continue to fly, but it’s almost guaranteed that Apple’s CEO Tim Cook will not address the subject in Tuesday’s earnings call.
Apple rarely provides detailed information on its future products or their release dates. However, the company has revealed the next version of their mobile operating system, iOS 6, will launch this fall. Most industry watchers and ravenous consumers assume this means Apple will also release a new iPhone model in the fall. New product releases typically spike sales, but they also bring a lull before the storm of purchases. Previous consumer behavior suggests buyers delay purchasing a new device if they believe Apple is about to release a new model.
This happened last year after the quarter before Apple released the iPhone 4S; it caused the company perform below analysts’ expectations. If the cycle repeats itself, and most analysts’ believe it will, Apple could see lower sales numbers for the next one or two quarters. Economic problems in China and Europe also have the potential to negatively impact sales.
Even with all the factors, we are unlikely to see any big surprises from Apple. Mac sells may see a slight increase, and iPod is expected to continue its slow decline from popularity. Apple will likely report a strong third quarter with sales of $37.23 billion, a decline of $1.95 billion from the second quarter and earnings of $10.35 per share. So, no surprises here – Apple is still dominating the technology market.
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