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Apple's best quarter/year in history
Apple's financial results for the fourth quarter:
"Apple posted revenue of $3.68 billion and a net quarterly profit of $430 million, or $.50 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $2.35 billion and a net profit of $106 million, or $.13 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter."
I did my part. I bought a shiny black Nano on the way to the airport leaving Seattle. I--literally--had the taxi driver pull into the mall with the Apple store that's on the way to SEATAC. Like I said before, passionate users are not rational (at least about the thing for which they're passionate).
Posted by Kathy on October 11, 2005 | Permalink
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» Apple Has Best Quarter Ever from Blog Blog
After being clued-in by Creating Passionate Users (a favorite blog of mine), I went to Apples page to see
Apple shipped 1,236,000 Macintosh® units and 6,451,000 iPods during the quarter, representing 48 percent growth in Macs and 220 percent ... [Read More]
Tracked on Oct 12, 2005 2:28:38 AM
Comments
Of course, as an immediate result of that, Apple is down 10% in after hours trading. Which only goes to show that the markets are even more irrational than passionate users...
Posted by: Robert 'Groby' Blum | Oct 11, 2005 10:53:12 PM
OMG, you were in Seattle - Southcenter Mall (that would be the one, no doubt - tiny Apple store just down from Macy's), no less? I bought my wife's iPod mini there...
Posted by: dave paisley | Oct 11, 2005 11:20:24 PM
Your passionate commentary is generally spot on; but be careful when you venture into the world of markets. Much bad blood has been split over "irrational exhuberance". It's in the history books and generally documented as one of capitalism's means for exploitation.
Passion is a good thing when people are learning with transparency. Passion is a bad thing when insider sources can manipulate it for their own gain.
No one wants to be the fool when the party ends. Invest your heart in passion, not your pocketbook =o)
Posted by: Jordan Rule | Oct 11, 2005 11:28:27 PM
I hope you also bought a cover for the Nano. The screen is very flimsy.
Posted by: Sri | Oct 12, 2005 8:18:11 AM
Re: markets...
Let's suppose you're a smart kid, but you've never really done well at school. You're a lifetime C student. But this year is going really well, you like your teachers, you like your subjects, and you tell everybody that this is the year you get straight A's. Everybody's saying you're the smartypants new kid on the block.
Your postcard comes out, and it's a mix of A's and B's. Some people recognize that you've never done so well, and are optimistic. Some people think this is just more proof that you're a blowhard who doesn't follow through on their promises.
Setting expectations is a tricky thing. You don't want to set bland expectations and only meet them, but when you set the bar too high, some people will jump on you when you fail to live up to them, whether or not you make progress on the way.
Which is not just a stock market issue...
Posted by: Joe | Oct 12, 2005 8:52:35 AM
Joe: Yes, but Apple *beat* expectations. Cleaned up, undiluted, after tax windfalls, $0.38 per share. Expectations were $0.37 per share.
I don't mind - I bought some, since I think the results speak for themselves. And, indeed, this morning, Apple's back to $50.
So it's not really about setting expectations - it's about irrational expectations consumers have by themselves. (Which sort of segues back into the "passionate users" thing. Just so ;)
Posted by: Robert 'Groby' Blum | Oct 12, 2005 9:47:03 AM
I've been a silent reader for the past few months, kind of passing Kathy's posts between my boss and myself. So, I just wanted to say keep up the good work! GREAT STUFF (Devil's Advocate, Thinking Young, Keep the sharp edges). Oh I own nothing from Apple, but your blog makes me want to buy something. I'm thinking of the nano. Thanks for food for thought!
Posted by: Brad Rippe | Oct 12, 2005 12:26:14 PM
Yes Dave, that was the one! The tiniest official Apple store I've ever seen--more like a shoebox... but they had the Nano...
Sri -- I'm keeping the plastic strip over the top until I can get a case. That's the one thing that's bothering me -- there are virtually no cases out yet except the Apple armband that doesn't protect the screen, but they're coming.
Thanks very much Brad : )
Jordan: aren't you supposed to be writing a book or something about this? The whole aggregate market thing? And how was the rest of the Bukem show (we had to leave early to catch the last ferry)?
Posted by: Kathy Sierra | Oct 12, 2005 1:29:54 PM
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