Apple’s earnings report next week eagerly anticipated

“Technology stocks will continue their earnings-season onslaught next week with the always eagerly anticipated report from the home of the iPod and Macintosh computer, Apple Inc.,” Rex Crum reports for MarketWatch.

“As often is the case with Apple, sales of its iPod music and video players, as well as its Macintosh computer line, will be at the core of the company’s results. Apple has been relatively quiet on the iPod front this quarter, and it is unlikely the company would be able to top the 21 million iPods it sold in its first quarter, which included the typically busy Christmas shopping season,” Crum reports.

Crum continues, “Shaw Wu, an analyst with American Technology Research, said he expects Mac sales to come in at the low end of his sales-range forecasts, largely because of a slight pause in purchases in anticipation of Leopard’s release. Wu, who holds a buy rating on Apple’s stock, and this week raised his price target on Apple to $145 a share from $118, estimates Apple will report sales of 1.4 million Macs. Such results would still be 26% higher than Apple’s Mac sales in the year-ago quarter. Wu also raised his iPod sales estimates to 10.3 million units from 9.2 million.”

Full article here.

MacDailyNews Note: Analysts surveyed by Thomson Financial estimate Apple (AAPL) to earn 64 cents a share on $5.17 billion in revenue for its Q2 07 quarter. Apple previously forecast a profit of between 54- to 56-cents per share, and revenue of $4.8 to $4.9 billion. Apple Q2 06 earnings info (ended 4/1/06): revenue of $4.36 billion, net quarterly profit of $410 million, 1.112 million Macs, 8.526 million iPods.

Apple will report Q2 07 quarterly earnings on April 25, 2007.

Apple’s recent earnings and unit sales information:

2007:
• Q1 (ended 12/30/06): revenue of $7.10 billion, net quarterly profit of $1 billion, 1.606 million Macs, 21.066 million iPods

2006:
• Q4 (ended 09/30/06): revenue of $4.84 billion, net quarterly profit of $546 million, 1.610 million Macs, 08.729 million iPods
• Q3 (ended 07/01/06): revenue of $4.37 billion, net quarterly profit of $472 million, 1.327 million Macs, 08.111 million iPods
• Q2 (ended 04/01/06): revenue of $4.36 billion, net quarterly profit of $410 million, 1.112 million Macs, 08.526 million iPods
• Q1 (ended 12/31/05): revenue of $5.75 billion, net quarterly profit of $565 million, 1.254 million Macs, 14.043 million iPods

2005:
• Q4 (ended 10/11/05): revenue of $3.68 billion, net quarterly profit of $430 million, 1.236 million Macs, 06.451 million iPods
• Q3 (ended 07/13/05): revenue of $3.52 billion, net quarterly profit of $320 million, 1.182 million Macs, 06.155 million iPods
• Q2 (ended 03/26/05): revenue of $3.24 billion, net quarterly profit of $290 million, 1.070 million Macs, 05.311 million iPods
• Q1 (ended 12/25/04): revenue of $3.49 billion, net quarterly profit of $295 million, 1.046 million Macs, 04.580 million iPods

2004:
• Q4 (ended 09/25/04): revenue of $2.350 billion, net quarterly profit of $106 million, 836,000 Macs, 02.016 million iPods
• Q3 (ended 06/26/04): revenue of $2.014 billion, net quarterly profit of $61 million, 876,000 Macs, 860,000 iPods
• Q2 (ended 03/27/04): revenue of $1.909 billion, net quarterly profit of $14 million, 749,000 Macs, 807,000 iPods
• Q1 (ended 12/27/03): revenue of $2.006 billion, net quarterly profit of $63 million, 829,000 Macs, 733,000 iPods

Related articles:
Apple announces Q2 07 financial results conference call webcast – April 17, 2007
Citigroup expects unit sales of 1.45 million Macs, 10.8 million iPods for Apple’s fiscal Q2 – April 11, 2007