Katie MarsalA combination of Mac OS X Leopard, refreshed Macs, and iPods have formed a perfect storm that hint Apple will exceed its already optimistic targets, according to investment bank Bear Stearns.
But unlike some past holiday quarters, the supply crunch is the result of a "confluence" of elements rather than any one clear motivating factor, Neff explains. The new iMac design, the release of Mac OS X Leopard, and Apple's stronger presence in Best Buy stores are all contributing to a large upswing in sales.
Buyers are also taking well to the new iPod line, particularly the iPod nano, the researcher notes. Bear Stearns has raised its estimated shipments of the media players from 24.3 to an even 25 million.
Some of the most surprising expansion may come from Mac sales. The financial group claims that its Asian investigations point to an increase in shipments versus earlier predictions of flat shipment numbers. Apple should produce about 2.2 million Macs, or roughly one percent more than the 2.16 million sold last quarter.
Neff maintained estimates that the iPhone will be an important component of Apple's financial outlook. About 2.13 million iPhones should ship given the combination of seasonal spikes and the introduction of the handset in Europe.
The only cautionary message for investors in the note warns that Apple will have to release one or more products at the start of calendar 2008 to avoid the sales slump that often occurs in the wake of the holidays. These are likely, Neff says: an ultraportable, an iPhone with 3G or 16GB of storage, and completely unexpected products should help soften or eliminate the sales drop between the fall and winter quarters.
Accordingly, Bear Stearns is raising its share price estimate for Apple from $243 to $249 — the price of an 80GB iPod classic, Neff points out.
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29 Comments
I wonder whether its a good or bad sign that predicted stock prices are starting to look like long-term goals rather than old news. Considering their growth in previous years, you'd think they'd be moving up faster with all the market share they've gained in mac sales, plus the iphone.
Another year or two of 2-3 fold increases and I could have bloody well retired on aapl alone (I am still holding on to my stake, I'm not a dummy)!
Surprised at the only 1% increase in Mac sales from last quarter...
A combination of Mac OS X Leopard, refreshed Macs, and iPods have formed a perfect storm that hint Apple will exceed its already optimistic targets, according to investment bank Bear Stearns.
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But unlike some past holiday quarters, the supply crunch is the result of a "confluence" of elements rather than any one clear motivating factor, Neff explains. The new iMac design, the release of Mac OS X Leopard, and Apple's stronger presence in Best Buy stores are all contributing to a large upswing in sales.
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Some of the most surprising expansion may come from Mac sales. The financial group claims that its Asian investigations point to an increase in shipments versus earlier predictions of flat shipment numbers. Apple should produce about 2.2 million Macs, or roughly one percent more than the 2.16 million sold last quarter.
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Do any of these sources, who guess on how many Macs Apple sells, every give a breakdown on the difference models of Macs Apples sell? I know Apple doesn't publish the numbers, but so many of these "sources" publish numbers of their guesses how many Macs are sold, but I never see any breakdown guesses on the number of Mac minis, iMacs, Mac Pros, Macbooks, or Macbook Pros. Has anyone seen any breakdown numbers (estimates or guesses by "authentic guessers"?
I love reports like this.
Am I correct in thinking that Apple isn't releasing a 3G iPhone at MacWorld because we'd know about it due to the FCC filing. At the most--and I on't think this will happen either--we'd get an announcement then for an iPhone release several months later.
Surprised at the only 1% increase in Mac sales from last quarter...
I think the article was a bit ambiguously worded on that one: It says "Apple should produce about 2.2 million Macs, or roughly one percent more than the 2.16 million sold last quarter......"
I suppose actual sales could increase more than 1% if inventory left over from the previous quarter is also sold off, in addition to the Macs produced in this quarter.