Apple Earnings Report Barely Exceeds Analysts Expectations

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For the first time in 10 years, Apple earning have slowed down, according to its most recent earning report. Over the past decade, Apple has been successful at showing a growth rate that continually trumped its previous record quarter after quarter. This year, though, Apple earnings have leveled out and barely surpassed analysts expectations.

A survey of earnings from Thomson Reuters showed expected third-quarter revenue of $35 billion (similar to the earning report from last year), and Apple managed to slip past that calculation with $35.3 billion in earnings. Expected net income was $6.87 billion, or $7.31 per share. Apple reported $6.9 billion net income, compared to last year’s $8.82 billion.

Apple’s iPhone sales were up at 31.2 million units compared with 26 million units from last year. Apple sold 14.6 million iPads, down from $17 million this time last year.

We generated $7.8 billion in cash flow from operations during the quarter and are pleased to have returned $18.8 billion in cash to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO.

Apple stock currently sits at $443, where their stock prices were above $700 in September. USA reports, “Now that Apple has failed to deliver another game-changing gizmo to consumers, the stock has gone from hot to not. Speculation continues about Apple launching different-size iPhones and iPads, a move unlikely to buoy shares.”

But Apple remains optimistic about their upcoming Fall products, a lower-cost iPhone and an update to the iPhone 5. Rumors have also been circulating about a smartwatch product.

We are laser-focused and working hard on some amazing new products that we will introduce in the fall and across 2014,” CEO Tim Cook said in a statement.