From our correspondent in Washington
It is difficult to be alarmed by the situation at Apple.
Its sales of Mac services and computers have just set new records in the past three months.
As for the 21% drop in iPhone sales, it is largely attributable to the anticipation of new 5G-compatible models, released only last month.
The largest American technology company therefore remains positioned to take advantage of the traditional seasonal surge in sales at the end of the year thanks to its new range of iPhone 12 offered in different versions at prices supposed to better match the varying budgets of consumers.
Apple posted a meager increase in sales of $ 64.7 billion during the last quarter and colossal net profits, but slightly down by $ 12.7 billion.
The confinement and the changes of habits which favor the withdrawal of consumers at home as well as teleworking, have helped boost Apple's sales in categories other than the iPhone.
Two things bother analysts and explain the 4.7% drop in the share price in the OTC market after the Nasdaq closed.
The first is the plunge of 21% of iPhone sales in China, in the context of a drop of 29% of its sales all products and services combined in this large market.
Tim Cook, the boss of the Cupertino (California) company, sees it above all as the result of the anticipation of the release of the iPhone 12. He thinks that the latter, in particular the Pro Max model with a large screen, will sell “
incredibly well
”in China during the current quarter.
He intends to announce, in three months, a return of the increase in sales in China between October and December.
“
The Covid?
I will classify this as a sort of unknown
”
Another disappointment: Apple is careful not to give any indication of its earnings outlook.
Luca Maestri, the group's chief financial officer, explains this gap by the unpredictable nature of the situation caused by the pandemic in Europe and the United States.
"
The new range has the wind of 5G in its sails, which represents a unique opportunity in a decade
" summarizes this senior official.
“
The Covid?
I would classify this as a sort of unknown,
”admits Tim Cook.
We are so used to seeing Apple achieve sales miracles in a saturated smartphone market that we would almost forget the great industrial performance represented by the release of these new iPhones in mid-October, while the world of technology is grappling with significant supply difficulties.
Apple's small correction Thursday evening in the minutes following the announcement of its results is also to be put into perspective with the stock's appreciation of 57% since the start of the year and 90% since the start of the year. year.
