SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple’s fiscal third-quarter earnings report on Tuesday comes amid speculation about how well the company is recovering from shortages that have limited sales of its hot iPad tablet computer.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Investors are keenly awaiting new iPad sales numbers. Analysts say the device is on track to make more money for Apple than its entire Mac division by the end of the year, and Apple has been hurt by an inability to make enough iPads to meet demand. COO Tim Cook said on last quarter’s conference call that Apple was working through the “mother of all backlogs” with the iPad.
WHY IT MATTERS: Apple is the world’s most valuable technology company, whose $337 billion market value dwarfs that of Google and Microsoft. Its iPhone, released in 2007, essentially created the mass consumer smartphone market, and the iPad, released last year, created a hot new computer category and has already sold 20 million units. Its stock is up 50 percent since last year.
WHAT’S EXPECTED: Analysts expect earnings of $5.82 per share and revenue of $24.84 billion, according to FactSet.
LAST YEAR’S QUARTER: In the same period a year ago, Apple earned $3.51 per share on $15.7 billion in revenue.