Earnings Preview: Apple gained PC share in US

posted: 39 DAYS 13 HOURS AGO

Text SizeAAA

CUPERTINO, Calif. -Apple Inc. reports earnings for its fiscal fourth quarter Monday. The following is a summary of key developments and analyst opinion related to the period.

OVERVIEW: Apple appears poised to exit the worst of the global economic meltdown unscathed. It released a new version of the Mac computer operating system, Snow Leopard, during the third quarter, and research groups IDC and Gartner Inc. reported Apple gained computer market share in the U.S. during the period.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs made his first high-profile appearance in September, following a liver transplant in the spring. He unveiled new iPods, including a Nano with a built-in video camera, and announced a new version of iTunes.

Apple also announced it would start selling iPhones in China with wireless carrier China Unicom Ltd.

Also during the quarter, Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt resigned from Apple's board as computer and mobile software competition heated up between the one-time allies.

Apple also found itself fending off questions from the Federal Communications Commission about why it rejected a Google application for the iPhone — Apple said it didn't — and may face additional scrutiny from the FCC over its exclusive iPhone deal with AT&T Inc. in the U.S.

BY THE NUMBERS: In July, Apple said it expected to earn $1.18 to $1.23 per share on $8.7 billion to $8.9 billion in revenue. Apple is typically conservative in its guidance, and analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expect Apple to do better — $1.42 per share in earnings on $9.2 billion in sales.

ANALYST TAKE: Morgan Keegan analyst Tavis McCourt wrote in a note to investors on Oct. 12 that Apple did well across the board in the quarter. The new version of Snow Leopard jolted Mac sales more than he expected, though iPods may fall short of his expectations. Overall, he expects Apple to handily beat the average Street view.

Broadpoint AmTech analyst Brian Marshall wrote in a research note that "Despite the weak economy, Apple continues to gain share in large markets while generating tremendous amounts of cash."

STOCK PERFORMANCE: Apple's stock gained about 30 percent in the quarter to end the period at $182.37 on Sept. 25.

2009-10-16 09:50:24