Nasdaq AAPL Thread

[Stock_Analyzer]

Information on AAPL can be found and shared in this thread:

AAPL: Summary for APPLE INC - Yahoo! Finance

[Stock_Analyzer]

Apple profit rises on strong Mac, iPod sales
Wednesday April 23, 5:12 pm ET

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Apple Inc (NasdaqGS:AAPL - News) on Wednesday posted a 36 percent rise in quarterly profit, helped by strong sales of its Macintosh computers and iPod media players, but its cautious outlook disappointed investors.

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Apple shares edged lower after the company, known for conservative financial forecasts, also gave a profit outlook for its current quarter that was below Wall Street estimates.

Apple said it expected earnings of $1.00 per share on revenue of $7.2 billion for its fiscal third quarter. Wall Street was looking for earnings per share of $1.11 and revenue of $7.17 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.

Net profit for its fiscal second quarter ended in March was $1.05 billion, or $1.16 per share, compared with $770 million, or 87 cents per share, a year ago. Revenue was $7.51 billion, up 43 percent.

The results beat the average analyst forecasts for revenue of $6.95 billion and earnings per share of $1.07, according to Reuters Estimates.

The company said it sold 2.29 million Mac computers in the quarter, topping the 2.04 million to 2.2 million range of five analysts' forecasts.

Apple sold 10.6 million iPods and 1.7 million iPhones in the quarter. Analysts were mostly looking for iPod shipments in the range of 9.5 million to 11 million, and iPhone sales in the 1.4 million to 1.8 million range.

Shares of Apple initially rose about 4 percent on the report, but quickly erased gains to trade at $159.25 versus their Nasdaq close of $162.89.

(Reporting by Scott Hillis; Editing by Braden Reddall)

[godoftrading]

What do you think of this play?

- Sell 10 May 185’s
- Sell 10 May $140’s puts
- Buy 12 Jan 09 200’s
- Buy 10 Jul 150 puts.

Profitable between 135 and 208 at may expiration. Max profit at 185. Takes advantage of IV crush.

[Stock_Analyzer]

I do not know a lot about puts and calls but that seems like a pretty good range from 135 to 200

[Technical_Indicator]

Consumer electronics giant reports strong gain in third-quarter earnings but its forecast for the fourth quarter disappoints investors.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Computer and consumer electronics maker Apple reported fiscal third-quarter earnings Monday that beat forecasts on strong sales of Mac computers and iPhones. But shares fell after-hours as the company's outlook for the fourth quarter disappointed investors.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company posted fiscal third-quarter net income of $1.07 billion, or $1.19 per diluted share, up 31% from last year's earnings of $818 million, or 92 cents per share. Analysts were expecting earnings of $1.08 per share according to Thomson Reuters.

Sales rose to $7.46 billion, up 38% from the same quarter a year ago when Apple reported sales of $5.4 billion. Wall Street was forecasting revenue of $7.4 billion.

The company said it shipped nearly 2.5 million Macintosh computers during the quarter, up 41% versus last year, and the highest number of Macs shipped in company history.

Apple also said it sold 11 million iPods and 717,000 iPhones in the quarter.

"We set a new record for Mac sales, we think we have a real winner with our new iPhone 3G, and we're busy finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months," said Apple CEO Steve Jobs in a written statement.

Apple introduced its cheaper and faster 3G version of its popular iPhone earlier this month. The company said it sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs during the first three days that it was available.

Looking ahead, the company is expecting revenue of about $7.8 billion and earnings per share of about $1.00 in its fiscal fourth quarter, which ends in September. That's well below the $8.32 billion in sales and $1.24 earnings per share estimate that analysts are forecasting.

For the fiscal year 2009, which begins in September, Apple expects its gross margins to shrink to 30%.

However, the company has a history of issuing conservative guidance.

Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's CFO, said on a conference call with analysts that the company's profit margins will be pressured in part by a "future product transition" that he said he was not at liberty to discuss at the present time.

Also weighing on Apple investors' minds is the issue of Jobs' health. The New York Post published a story Monday raising questions about Jobs' apparent weight loss and discussed rumors that his cancer has returned.

In response to a question regarding Jobs, Oppenheimer told analysts that "Steve loves Apple and serves at the board's pleasure. He has no plans to leave Apple and Steve's health is a private matter." Jobs, as is usually the case, did not participate in the earnings conference call.

Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) shares fell more than 10% after the announcement. The stock rose slightly in regular trading on the Nasdaq Monday.

"A combination of lower guidance for next quarter and discussion of a 30% gross margin for next year," helped push the stock lower, said Andy Hargreaves, an analyst at Pacific Crest Securities.

Oppenheimer's open-ended response to the question about Jobs' health is also affecting Apple's stock price, Hargreaves said.

Apple is the latest company to shine a light on the health of the technology sector. Intel Corp. (INTC, Fortune 500), the world's largest chipmaker, reported last week that its second-quarter profits increased 25% thanks to strong international sales due to a weak dollar.

But earnings for software maker and Apple rival Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) fell short of Wall Street's estimates and offered guidance that disappointed investors.

[Technical_Indicator]

Apple spent $450K lobbying government in 2Q
Apple spent $450,000 in second quarter to lobby on patent reform, trade measures, spyware
August 14, 2008: 02:48 PM EST


NEW YORK (Associated Press) - Apple Inc. spent $450,000 in the second quarter to lobby on patent reform, trade measures, consumer product safety legislation and more, according to a recent disclosure form.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based company, which makes computers, iPods and iPhones, also lobbied on energy efficiency issues, funding for education technology and the No Child Left Behind Act.

In the April-June period, Apple also lobbied on efforts to crack down on spyware, which are computer programs that can surreptitiously access hard drives to track online behavior and steal sensitive personal data.

In addition, Apple lobbied on proposed network neutrality rules that would prohibit broadband providers from favoring or discriminating against online traffic, and efforts to reform the Universal Service Fund, which subsidizes telephone service in rural and underserved communities through a tax on long distance bills.

The company also lobbied on the upcoming transition from analog to digital broadcasting, which will free up valuable wireless spectrum to deliver high-speed Internet access and provide interoperable communications networks to connect first responders.

Besides Congress, Apple lobbied the Commerce Department, Federal Communications Commission, Education Department and other agencies, according to the disclosure form filed July 21 with the Senate's clerk office.