Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Wednesday, 22 October 2008 09:00
Opinion and Analysis
Page 1 of 2
Despite having less than 10% share of the worldwide PC market, Apple
has still sold millions of Macs, iPhones, iPods and says it has sold
more phones than RIM has sold BlackBerries.
Although the fourth quarter of the year ends in December, companies often work on different financial calendars, hence Apple says its fourth quarter actually ends on September 27, 2008, which still leaves a real quarter of the calendar year to go.
Apple says its
fourth quarter has gone brilliantly, selling more iPhones in one quarter than ever, with Mac sales also reach an “all-time high”.
Apple “posted revenue of US $7.9 billion and net quarterly profit of US $1.14 billion, or $1.26 per diluted share:, and compare favourably to revenue of “$6.22 billion and net quarterly profit of $904 million, or $1.01 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter.”
Gross margins were nice, too: “34.7 percent, up from 33.6 percent in the year-ago quarter”, while Apple’s international efforts have paid off handsomely, as “international sales accounted for 41 percent of the quarter’s revenue.”
2,611,000 Macs were shipped during the quarter, growing 21% in units and 17% in revenue over the year-ago quarter. iPod sales totalled 11,052,000 in the quarter – 8% more in units and 3% more in revenue over last year.
Then we get to iPhones, with a whopping 6,892,000 sold this quarter compared with 1,119,000 over the year-ago quarter, showing just how incredibly important the iPhone has become to Apple’s sales and profits.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO said: “Apple just reported one of the best quarters in its history, with a spectacular performance by the iPhone—we sold more phones than RIM. We don’t yet know how this economic downturn will affect Apple.
“But we’re armed with the strongest product line in our history, the most talented employees and the best customers in our industry. And $25 billion of cash safely in the bank with zero debt.”
Steve Jobs being on the quarterly revenue call with analysts was an interesting event in itself, normally he leaves the jobs to his CFO Peter Oppenheimer, but then Apple clearly wanted to crow about its excellent results and who better to do that than the man who is Mr Apple – Steve Jobs himself?
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