“Goldman Sachs maintained an ‘in-line’ rating on Apple Computer, saying it expects little sequential growth from the company’s iPod product, thus putting the growth burden on the company’s Macintosh computers. ‘Based on a series of checks throughout the supply chain, we expect sequential iPod growth to come in lower than what investors have become accustomed to,’ Goldman said. The research firm said Apple’s second-quarter upside should be less than it has been and will have to be driven more by the Mac. However, ‘we see a solid iPod ramp in the back half of the year from new models and expect the MP3 player market to consolidate,’ Goldman said, adding that the shakeout will probably leave only four viable vendors,” Forbes reports. “Goldman said iPod shipments are currently tracking in-line with its 5.35 million unit estimate for the second quarter.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: Apple sold 5.311 million iPod units during its fiscal 2005 second quarter ended March 26, 2005 and 4.58 million iPod units during its fiscal 2005 first quarter ended December 25, 2004. In its fiscal 2004 fourth quarter ended September 25, 2004, Apple sold 2.016 million iPod units.