Supply chain suggests iPhone orders will rebound this summer ahead of 'iPhone 7' launch

Forecast trends in the demand for flexible PCB (printed circuit board) parts for iPhones indicate that while iPhone production may be down in the first half of the year, it will likely rebound in the second half as work begins on Apple's next-generation models.

FPCB suppliers are expecting sales to pick up in June or July as other companies in the iPhone supply chain work to produce components for the new devices, DigiTimes supply chain sources said on Wednesday. In the meantime, however, FPCB shipments are predicted to decline year-over-year.

The sources noted that iPhones have become increasingly depenedent on FPCBs because of larger displays, 3D Touch, and Apple's drive to make devices increasingly thin. Suppliers are believed to include Flexium Interconnect and Zhen Ding Technology Holding.

In its most recent results call, Apple guided to its first-ever iPhone sales decline for the March quarter, following relatively modest growth in the previous quarter. CEO Tim Cook attributed the situation to blockbuster results last year, combined with current global economic problems.

Some analysts have expressed concerns, however, because the iPhone is Apple's primary revenue generator, and the company has traditionally enjoyed substantial growth with it — sometimes in double-digit percentages.

28 Comments

canukstorm 2740 comments · 11 Years

About 8 years ago

sog35 said:

Love me some supply chain rumors.

So obvious Wall Street is going to pump up Apple stock for the iPhone7 launch.

2012 - juice stock to $100. Sell to retail investors
2013 - bash stock to $54. Scare retail investors to sell the same stock they bough at $90-$100
2015 - juice stock up to $134. Sell to retail investors.
2016 - bash stock to $94. Scare retail investors to sell the same stock they bought at $120-$130
2016 - juice stock to $150

Financial engineering at its best

tmay 6455 comments · 11 Years

sog35 said:

Love me some supply chain rumors.

So obvious Wall Street is going to pump up Apple stock for the iPhone7 launch.

2012 - juice stock to $100. Sell to retail investors
2013 - bash stock to $54. Scare retail investors to sell the same stock they bough at $90-$100
2015 - juice stock up to $134. Sell to retail investors.
2016 - bash stock to $94. Scare retail investors to sell the same stock they bought at $120-$130
2016 - juice stock to $150

You might want to look at AAPL and GOOG this morning.

I expect that Wall Street would have liked to get a better pump out of GOOG than they did; looks like a lot of profit taking at a minimum.

I'm fine that it's Alphabet's turn in the barrel.

sog35 said:

tmay said:

You might want to look at AAPL and GOOG this morning.

I expect that Wall Street would have liked to get a better pump out of GOOG than they did; looks like a lot of profit taking at a minimum.

I'm fine that it's Alphabet's turn in the barrel.

I think the rotation is over.

For the rest of the year we will see AAPL go up and GOOGL go down.

I would not be surprised in the least if Apple sees $150 this year on the iPhone7 hype. With iPhone7 hype Wall Street can easily model $11 EPS for FY2017. That gives you $150 with a PE of 13.5

Well, Wall Street got some $200 plus billion out of the hands of Apple stockholders and into the Casino; I don't doubt that they can "revalue" APPL and get those same billions back into APPL, with a tidy skim as it were.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

radster360 546 comments · 16 Years

Here we go again with supply chain rumors! And what was the market Anal-ysts saying not too long ago.

Tim Cook was right as he runs the company and is a master of these things - Supply Chain is complex and don't try to make something out of pieces of data. I hope there are lot more such stories, even if they might be inaccurate. Because, either side of the rumor does not give correct information.

JamesBB 50 comments · 8 Years

Today Tim Cook starts repurchasing shares after a 6 week blackout period... enough said... anyone who sold rather than bought during this downturn is being taken to the cleaners by WS.