www.bloomberg.com Open in urlscan Pro
151.101.129.73  Public Scan

URL: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-11-02/apple-posts-fourth-straight-sales-drop-longest-slump-since-2001
Submission: On November 03 via api from US — Scanned from DE

Form analysis 0 forms found in the DOM

Text Content

Skip to content
Bloomberg the Company & Its ProductsThe Company & its ProductsBloomberg Terminal
Demo RequestBloomberg Anywhere Remote LoginBloomberg Anywhere LoginBloomberg
Customer SupportCustomer Support


 * BLOOMBERG
   
   Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and
   ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial
   information, news and insight around the world
   
   
   FOR CUSTOMERS
   
    * Bloomberg Anywhere Remote Login
    * Software Updates
    * Manage Products and Account Information
   
   
   SUPPORT
   
   Americas+1 212 318 2000
   
   EMEA+44 20 7330 7500
   
   Asia Pacific+65 6212 1000


 * COMPANY
   
    * About
    * Careers
    * Diversity and Inclusion
    * Tech At Bloomberg
    * Philanthropy
    * Sustainability
    * Bloomberg London
    * Bloomberg Beta
    * Gender-Equality Index
   
   
   COMMUNICATIONS
   
    * Press Announcements
    * Press Contacts
   
   
   FOLLOW
   
    * Facebook
    * Instagram
    * LinkedIn
    * Twitter
    * YouTube


 * PRODUCTS
   
    * Bloomberg Terminal
    * Data
    * Trading
    * Risk
    * Indices
   
   
   INDUSTRY PRODUCTS
   
    * Bloomberg Law
    * Bloomberg Tax
    * Bloomberg Government
    * BloombergNEF


 * MEDIA
   
    * Bloomberg Markets
    * Bloomberg Technology
    * Bloomberg Pursuits
    * Bloomberg Politics
    * Bloomberg Opinion
    * Bloomberg Businessweek
    * Bloomberg Live Conferences
    * Bloomberg Radio
    * Bloomberg Television
    * News Bureaus
   
   
   MEDIA SERVICES
   
    * Bloomberg Media Distribution
    * Advertising


 * COMPANY
   
    * About
    * Careers
    * Diversity and Inclusion
    * Tech At Bloomberg
    * Philanthropy
    * Sustainability
    * Bloomberg London
    * Bloomberg Beta
    * Gender-Equality Index
   
   
   COMMUNICATIONS
   
    * Press Announcements
    * Press Contacts
   
   
   FOLLOW
   
    * Facebook
    * Instagram
    * LinkedIn
    * Twitter
    * YouTube


 * PRODUCTS
   
    * Bloomberg Terminal
    * Data
    * Trading
    * Risk
    * Indices
   
   
   INDUSTRY PRODUCTS
   
    * Bloomberg Law
    * Bloomberg Tax
    * Bloomberg Government
    * Bloomberg Environment
    * BloombergNEF


 * MEDIA
   
    * Bloomberg Markets
    * Bloomberg
      Technology
    * Bloomberg Pursuits
    * Bloomberg Politics
    * Bloomberg Opinion
    * Bloomberg
      Businessweek
    * Bloomberg Live Conferences
    * Bloomberg Radio
    * Bloomberg Television
    * News Bureaus
   
   
   MEDIA SERVICES
   
    * Bloomberg Media Distribution
    * Advertising


 * BLOOMBERG
   
   Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and
   ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial
   information, news and insight around the world
   
   
   FOR CUSTOMERS
   
    * Bloomberg Anywhere Remote Login
    * Software Updates
    * Manage Contracts and Orders
   
   
   SUPPORT
   
   Americas+1 212 318 2000
   
   EMEA+44 20 7330 7500
   
   Asia Pacific+65 6212 1000


US Edition

 * UK
   
 * Europe
   
 * US
   
 * Asia
   
 * Middle East
   
 * Africa
   
 * 日本
   

Sign In
Account

My Interests
 * Saved
 * My Content
 * Newsletters
 * Watchlist

Settings
 * Account
 * Subscription
 * Billing

 * Help Center
 * Sign Out

Subscribe



 * Live Now
   
   
   BLOOMBERG TV+
   
   
   BLOOMBERG THE OPEN
   
   Jonathan Ferro drives you through the market moving events from around the
   world on Bloomberg's The Open. 60 minutes featuring the brightest minds on
   Wall Street, taking you through the most important hour of the trading day.
   
   
   BLOOMBERG RADIO
   
   
   BLOOMBERG SURVEILLANCE
   
   The economy and markets are "under surveillance". Bloomberg Surveillance,
   covering the latest news in finance, economics and investments.
   
   Listen
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   BLOOMBERG ORIGINALS
   
   
   BUSINESS OF SPORTS
   
   If the only thing you know about sports is who wins and who loses, you are
   missing the highest stakes action of all. The business owners that power this
   multibillion dollar industry are changing, and a new era of the business of
   sports is underway. From media and technology to finance and real estate,
   leagues and teams across the globe have matured into far more than just back
   page entertainment. And the decisions they make have huge consequences, not
   just for the bottom line, but for communities, cities, even entire countries.
   
   
   ALSO STREAMING ON YOUR TV:
   
   
 * * Markets
     Markets
      * Deals
      * Odd Lots
      * The FIX | Fixed Income
      * ETFs
      * FX
      * Factor Investing
      * Alternative Investing
      * Economic Calendar
      * Markets Magazine
      * UK Markets Today
     
     
     MARKETS
     
     Icahn Enterprises Maintains Payout After Losses Narrow
     
     
     BUSINESS
     
     Selfridges Owner Benko to Give Up Control of €23 Billion Empire
     
     
     MARKET DATA
     
      * Stocks
      * Commodities
      * Rates & Bonds
      * Currencies
      * Futures
      * Sectors
     
     View More Markets
   * Economics
     Economics
      * Indicators
      * Central Banks
      * Jobs
      * Trade
      * Tax & Spend
      * Inflation & Prices
     
     
     ECONOMICS
     
     US Yields Dive After Jobs Data as Traders Move Up Rate-Cut Bets
     
     
     JOBS
     
     US Jobs Data Show Broad Cooling After Run of Surprise Strength
     
     
     JOBS
     
     Canada Posts Meager Job Gains, Unemployment Climbs to 5.7%
     
     View More Economics
   * Industries
     Industries
      * Consumer
      * Energy
      * Entertainment
      * Finance
      * Health
      * Legal
      * Real Estate
      * Telecom
      * Transportation
      * Travel
     
     
     CHECKOUT
     
     Shoppers Keep Splurging on Little Luxuries Like Starbucks, Fried Chicken
     
     
     ART AUCTIONS
     
     Fall Auctions Woo Rich Bargain Hunters With $2.5 Billion in Art
     
     
     FEATURED
     
      * Business of Sports
     
     View More Industries
   * Tech
     Tech
      * AI
      * Big Tech
      * Cybersecurity
      * Startups
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     Siemens to Invest $510 Million in US Manufacturing, Texas Plant
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     Musk Says Mysterious xAI Product to Be Offered to ‘Select Group’
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     Amazon’s Jeff Bezos Announces Move to Miami From Seattle
     
     View More Tech
   * AI
     AI
      * Stocks to Watch
      * Startups & Investing
      * Ethics, Law & Policy
      * Jobs & Economy
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     China Wants to Build Advanced Humanoid Robots by 2025
     
     
     AI
     
     Elon Musk Calls for AI Regulations in Chat With UK Prime Minister
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     Google and Microsoft Bet on 27-Year-Old Stanford Alum to Make AI Work For a
     Billion Users
     
     View More AI
   * Politics
     Politics
      * US
      * UK
      * Americas
      * Europe
      * Asia
      * Middle East
     
     
     POLITICS
     
     Blinken Meets Netanyahu With Focus on War Hostages, Civilians
     
     
     POLITICS
     
     Toxic Cycle of 70 Governments in 75 Years Is Meloni’s New Target
     
     
     FEATURED
     
      * Next China
     
     View More Politics
   * Wealth
     Wealth
      * Investing
      * Living
      * Opinion & Advice
      * Savings & Retirement
      * Taxes
      * Reinvention
     
     
     INVESTING
     
     FTX Trial Fuels Frustration and Anger For Traders Who Lost Money
     
     
     REAL ESTATE
     
     Brookfield Fires Cushman on US Listings After Deal Fails
     
     
     FEATURED
     
      * How to Invest
     
     View More Wealth
   * Pursuits
     Pursuits
      * Travel
      * Autos
      * Homes
      * Living
      * Culture
      * Style
     
     
     PURSUITS
     
     The White House Historical Association is opening a technology-driven
     educational center in 2024
     
     
     ART AUCTIONS
     
     Fall Auctions Woo Rich Bargain Hunters With $2.5 Billion in Art
     
     
     FEATURED
     
      * Screentime
      * New York Property Prices
      * Where to Go in 2023
     
     View More Pursuits
   * Opinion
     Opinion
      * Business
      * Finance
      * Economics
      * Markets
      * Politics & Policy
      * Technology & Ideas
      * Editorials
      * Letters
     
     
     EDITORIAL BOARD
     
     How To Keep Foreign Hands Off the Next Election
     
     
     LETICIA MIRANDA | COLUMNIST
     
     Victoria's Secret Can Teach Lululemon About the Price of Hubris
     
     
     CHRIS BRYANT | COLUMNIST
     
     Container Shipping’s Fat Cats Require a Crash Diet
     
     View More Opinion
   * Businessweek
     Businessweek
      * The Bloomberg 50
      * Best B-Schools
      * Small Business Survival Guide
      * 50 Companies to Watch
      * Good Business
      * Subscribe to the Magazine
     
     
     THE SHOW
     
     Why ‘Ambition’ Is Sometimes a Dirty Word, on The Businessweek Show
     
     
     BLOOMBERG NEW ECONOMY
     
     Brazil Once Pioneered Generic Drugs, and Then Came a Patent War
     
     
     BLOOMBERG NEW ECONOMY
     
     Online Gambling Has Millions of Young Africans Battling Addiction
     
     View More Businessweek
   * Equality
     Equality
      * Corporate Leadership
      * Capital
      * Society
      * Solutions
     
     
     EQUALITY
     
     Nascar Accused of Bias Against White Men in Its Diversity Efforts
     
     
     EQUALITY
     
     Abortion on Ohio Ballot Seen as Test of Key 2024 Election Issue
     
     
     FEATURED
     
      * In Trust Podcast
     
     View More Equality
   * Green
     Green
      * New Energy
      * ESG Investing
      * Weather & Science
      * Climate Politics
      * Greener Living
      * Cleaner Tech
     
     
     ZERO
     
     Remembering Saleemul Huq, a Champion of Climate Justice
     
     
     GREENER LIVING
     
     How to Turn Your Electric Car Into a Mobile Power Plant
     
     
     FEATURED
     
      * Data Dash
      * Hyperdrive
     
     View More Green
   * CityLab
     CityLab
      * Design
      * Culture
      * Transportation
      * Economy
      * Environment
      * Housing
      * Justice
      * Government
      * Technology
     
     
     TRANSPORTATION
     
     Americans Are Walking 36% Less Since Covid
     
     
     CITYLAB
     
     Silicon Valley City Wants to Ease Housing Crisis With $150,000 Cargo
     Containers
     
     
     GOVERNMENT
     
     Maine Proposal Would Force Buyout of Power Companies
     
     View More CityLab
   * Crypto
     Crypto
      * Decentralized Finance
      * NFTs
      * Regulation
      * Technology
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     Bankman-Fried’s Conviction Stirs Both Hope and Condemnation for Crypto
     
     
     TECHNOLOGY
     
     SBF’s Inner Circle Delivered a Conviction. What’s Next for Them?
     
     
     CRYPTO
     
     Quick Sam Bankman-Fried Verdict Is Unusual for Big White-Collar Case
     
     View More Crypto
 * More
   
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   
   
   
   





Technology


APPLE WARNS OF SLUGGISH HOLIDAY QUARTER AFTER CHINA SLOWDOWN

 * Sales of iPads and wearable products are expected to suffer
 * Even with challenges, iPhone sales slightly exceed estimates

FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailLink
Gift
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute

Current Time 0:00
/
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%

0:00
Progress: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time -0:00
 
Playback Rate
 * 2x
 * 1.5x
 * 1.25x
 * 1x, selected
 * 0.75x
 * 0.5x

1x
Chapters
 * Chapters

Captions
 * captions settings, opens captions settings dialog
 * captions off, selected

Fullscreen

This is a modal window.



Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.

TextColorWhiteBlackRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentBackgroundColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyOpaqueSemi-TransparentTransparentWindowColorBlackWhiteRedGreenBlueYellowMagentaCyanTransparencyTransparentSemi-TransparentOpaque
Font Size50%75%100%125%150%175%200%300%400%Text Edge
StyleNoneRaisedDepressedUniformDropshadowFont FamilyProportional
Sans-SerifMonospace Sans-SerifProportional SerifMonospace SerifCasualScriptSmall
Caps
Reset restore all settings to the default valuesDone
Close Modal Dialog

End of dialog window.



Breaking Down Apple's Fourth-Quarter Earnings
Breaking Down Apple's Fourth-Quarter Earnings
Unmute



Breaking Down Apple's Fourth-Quarter Earnings
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailLink
GiftGift this article

Have a confidential tip for our reporters? Get in Touch
Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal
Bloomberg Terminal LEARN MORE
FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailLink
Gift
By Mark Gurman
November 2, 2023 at 9:34 PM GMT+1
Updated on
November 3, 2023 at 12:18 AM GMT+1
BookmarkSave

Listen

6:32

Apple Inc., already facing a slowdown in China, warned that revenue in the
holiday quarter will be about the same as last year, signaling that investors
won’t see the growth rebound they were banking on.

Though iPhone revenue is expected to increase in the December quarter, overall
sales will be similar to the year-earlier period, Chief Financial Officer Luca
Maestri said on a conference call Thursday following Apple’s quarterly report.
The tepid outlook sent the shares down as much as 4.6% in late trading.

Wall Street had projected revenue growth of about 5% in the quarter, which is
invariably Apple’s biggest sales period of the year. Revenue from the iPad and
the company’s wearables category, which includes its smartwatch line, will drop
significantly during the quarter, Apple said. The Mac, on the other hand, will
see an acceleration.



The company has been trying to pull out of its longest sales slowdown in
decades. It just reported its fourth straight revenue decline, matching a streak
it suffered in 2001, as the company struggles with a sluggish computer market
and shaky demand in China.



Revenue fell toBloomberg Terminal $89.5 billion in the fiscal fourth quarter,
which ended Sept. 30. That compared with an average Wall Street estimate of
$89.4 billion. Apple didn’t provide formal guidance for the current quarter,
sticking with a policy it adopted during the pandemic.

The results suggest that Apple is facing a deceleration in China. The government
there has imposed bans on US technology in some workplaces, and a new phone from
Huawei Technologies Co. is providing fresh competition. Revenue from that region
amounted to $15.1 billion last quarter, down slightly from a year earlier and
well short of the $17 billion that some analysts had predicted. Cook said the
decline was due to a drop in Mac and iPad sales, as well as currency
fluctuations.



Apple shares dropped as low as $169.33 in extended trading. They had closed at
$177.57 in New York, leaving them up 37% this year.

The company updated the iPhone, its flagship product, during the fourth quarter.
The period included a little over a week of sales data following the device’s
launch on Sept. 22. The Cupertino, California-based company also released new
watch models — the Series 9 and Ultra 2 — and updated its AirPods Pro to add a
USB-C port.



Even with the challenges, the iPhone performed slightly better than projected.
It generated $43.8 billion in sales, compared with an average estimate of $43.7
billion. And, despite the concerns, the device reached a quarterly revenue
record in mainland China, Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook said during the
conference call with analysts. Earnings came in at $1.46 a share last quarter,
topping the $1.39 forecast.



Cook also said the company was investing “quite a bit” in generative artificial
intelligence. Bloomberg News recently reportedBloomberg Terminal that Apple is
planning to inject the technology into several new apps and services next year.
“You will see product advancements over time,” Cook said, “where those
technologies are at the heart of them.”

The iPhone accounts for roughly half of Apple’s sales, so the launch of a new
model is closely watched by investors. With the iPhone 15, the company
redesigned the high-end versions — giving them titanium cases — and added
features such as a more powerful zoom camera lens. The hope was to entice
smartphone shoppers who had been holding onto their old models for longer these
days.



Apple had a favorable year-over-year comparison this cycle because 2022’s iPhone
14 Pro models faced supply constraints due to shutdowns at Apple’s manufacturing
partners in China. The iPhone 15 Pro had no such limitations.

Thursday’s report follows an upbeat view from Qualcomm Inc., the leading maker
of smartphone chips. On Wednesday, it forecast stronger sales for the current
quarter than analysts expected, kicking off a rally for its stock.


> WHAT BLOOMBERG INTELLIGENCE SAYS:
> 
> “The sales miss in China is discouraging and could have been caused by soft
> consumer spending.”
> 
> — Anurag Rana, BI technology industry analyst
> 
> Click hereBloomberg Terminal to read his research.

In one potentially ominous sign, Qualcomm said that its smartphone chip business
saw a 35% increase from Chinese manufacturers of Android phones, suggesting that
customers in the region are opting for non-iPhones in larger numbers.



The area is Apple’s largest international market, accounting for about a fifth
of sales. Still, Cook said he believes Apple actually gained smartphone market
share in China during the quarter.

The company said that the iPhone set revenue records in several developed and
emerging markets, including India.

The personal computer market also is poised for a resurgence, but Apple didn’t
debut any new models during the quarter. Though it unveiled new MacBook Pros,
iMacs and M3 processors earlier this week, sales of those machines won’t show up
in Apple results until the quarter ending in December.



Apple brought in $7.61 billion from the Mac during the fourth quarter, missing
forecasts of $8.76 billion. The company did release some new computers earlier
this year, including a 15-inch MacBook Air and faster desktops. Apple blamed the
steep decline on manufacturing challenges for the Mac last year. The company
lost sales during the June quarter a year ago, only to regain them from pent-up
demand in the September period. That set up a poor comparison for this year.

Read More: Apple Unveils New Laptops, iMac and Trio of More Powerful Chips

Revenue for the September quarter might have been stronger if the company had
released new iPads during the period, which it sometimes does, or made more
significant changes to its accessories. The latest Apple Watches and AirPods
only represent modest tweaks from their predecessors.



The Wearables, Home and Accessories segment, which includes the watch, AirPods,
Apple TV set-top box and Beats headphones, brought revenue of $9.32 billion.
That fell short of the $9.41 billion estimate.

The services segment generated $22.3 billion in sales, beating Wall Street
targets of $21.4 billion. That’s an all-time record for the category. The
company is looking to make that business even more lucrative: It raised the
prices for Apple TV+, Arcade and News+ last month, though that change was too
recent to affect these results.

The iPad brought in revenue of $6.44 billion. Though that was a 10% decline from
last year, it was better than the $6.12 billion projection. Apple hasn’t
introduced a new iPad this calendar year, the first time that’s happened since
the product first debuted in 2010. It did, however, release a cheaper Apple
Pencil stylus for its tablets this week.



(Updates with more commentary from conference call starting in 10th paragraph.)

LinkCopy Link
Follow all new stories by Mark Gurman
Plus FollowingPlus Get AlertsPlus Get Alerts
Twitter


FacebookTwitterLinkedInEmailLink
Gift
BookmarkSave
Have a confidential tip for our reporters? Get in Touch
Before it’s here, it’s on the Bloomberg Terminal
Bloomberg Terminal LEARN MORE





Terms of ServiceManage CookiesTrademarksPrivacy Policy©2023 Bloomberg L.P. All
Rights Reserved.
CareersMade in NYCAdvertiseAd ChoicesHelp




Get unlimited access today.Explore Offer Arrow Right
Chevron Down
Subscribe now for unlimited access to Bloomberg.com and the Bloomberg app
Global news that uncovers a new tomorrow. Cancel anytime.
Get uninterrupted access to global news. Cancel anytime.
Claim This Offer