Apple Earnings Report Barely Exceeds Analysts Expectations
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.