“Maybank’s Warren Lau this morning weighs in with a warning for companies serving the Apple supply chain, writing that the company’s sales of the iPhone may hit the lowest level since 2014 in the June quarter, missing Street expectations,” Tiernan Ray reports for Barron’s.
“Without citing sources, Lau argues that Apple probably sold 52 million to 53 million iPhones in the March quarter, its fiscal Q2, which is better than consensus of 50 million. Lau thinks sales were boosted by the recent introduction of the smaller, lower-priced ‘iPhone SE’ last month, whose production is now ramping, offsetting what he views as declining production of the iPhone 6s series,” Ray reports. “However, more at issue is fiscal Q3, the June quarter, when Lau thinks shipments may drop another leg down, based on his observation of cuts in Apple’s parts orders.”
We reported that iPhone production was adjusted down 20% on 21 Mar (titled: 1Q update and 2Q outlook). We think the mix could worsen as production for existing 6S models may fall 20-30% sequentially, amid the sluggish demand. This is already on the back of a 50% QoQ cut in C1Q. We now model iPhone shipment to be 35-40m units, down >20% YoY and against Street’s expectations of mid-to-high 40m units. This could be the lowest since 3Q14.The higher mix of 6/SE models could pose risk to iPhone’s blended ASP and profit margin. The 6/SE are selling at USD100/200 lower than the flagship 6S, which continues to experience lackluster demand. We forecast iPhone unit shipment to decline 15% in 2016. — Maybank analyst Warren Lau
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Who from where says what?
We’ve been covering Apple extensively for many years now and a search of our over 55,000-article database for “Warren Lau” comes up empty. That’s right, a glaring and telling zero (0) for 55,663.
Even if a particular data point were factual it would be impossible to accurately interpret the data point as to what it meant for our overall business because the supply chain is very complex and we obviously have multiple sources for things, yields might vary, supply performance can vary. The beginning inventory positions can vary, I mean there is just an inordinate long list of things that would make any single data point not a great proxy for what’s going on. Apple CEO Tim Cook, January 23, 2013
I wish I could make as much as these Wall Street analysts make for coming up with a new piece of B.S. each and everyday.
The headline is especially absurd since Apple did not announce their plans/projections for June quarter. So stating that Apple might miss big is just blatant nonsense.
Dont worry about these idiots. They are F….n b……ds.Look at their own share prices. Hope they clean their ……
Me thinks Hedgies are busy prior to earnings!!
AAPL was down the last two trading days so you are absolutely correct. We will find out next Monday.
Kicking the can down the road…
Eventually, Apple _will_ disappoint, folks! Just like most other companies. But we just don’t know when. ha ha ha
Someday we’ll all die too. You will be disappointed just before, then you won’t.
Is that prescient or something?
Ha ha ha?
And on that day, years from the date the FUD was published…
“SEE! SEE! I told you Apple was gonna fumble!”
A lame form of entertainment.
“…or they may not. We don’t actually know. Whee!!!”
That’s how you drive down the price of the stock for your benefit. By law there should be
No talk of a company’s performace until the day after earnings are announced and only for
a one week after that. This law would especially pertain to anyone in the securities business.
Makes trading stocks more balanced for everyone
There is a rule like that but it’s only on the company reporting. If Apple wanted to say fu to the writer they couldn’t.
“may miss big”
They also “may have the biggest sales on record again”. Anyone can say that something may happen (or not). Why bother using digital ink to publish this drivel?
It’s a shame. Apple is sitting on a mountain of cash but that cash is stuck in overseas cement. Apple’s hands are tied. Apple’s P/E is relatively low compared to its peers and yet the share price still continues to take hits while the peers keep rolling steadily higher. I wonder if Apple’s management is actually to blame. I don’t see it that way yet every single move Apple makes comes back to bite shareholders in the ass. The stock remains as weak as any stock out there despite buybacks and dividends. I don’t really get it at all. It can take months for Apple stock to go up but a couple of days can wipe all those gains away based on little more than unsupported claims. It’s really weird.
You wrote one correct sentence; “It’s a shame.” But it should have been you are ashamed to troll on MDN.
Maybank is a Malaysian Bank. Analyst works in their KH subsidiary.
Barrons has now picked up the story. Bashing the June Qtr. estimates. Me thinks the product transition may be coming earlier, hence some of the guestimated order cutbacks.
FUD FUD FUD FUD!
FUD FUD FUD FUD!
Looks like hit-whoring to me.
Apple bashing is perennial and alway attracts a crowd.