With all eyes and ears waiting eagerly for Apple to announce their earnings for the second financial quarter of 2012, we are all wondering whether or not the company would continue to rack up record sales and profits. The information has filtered through from California, only moments before they officially held their earnings call with company investors.
Apple has announced that their total earnings for the first quarter of the year leveled out at a staggering $39.2 billion, which amounted to a return of $13.87 for each individual share and a total net profit of $11.6 billion. Apple will obviously be delighted with the figures, which have once again exceeded best estimates that were predicted by experts and analysts. Some may choose to focus on the negative, that the figures were down when compared to Apple’s previous quarter postings, but that is to be expected considering it was during the holiday season.
Perhaps one of the most encouraging aspects of the announcement is the fact that Apple managed to shift 35.1 million iPhone units during the quarter, a number which represents a hugely impressive 88% growth from this time last year.
The company also managed to sell a staggering 11.8 million iPads, which when compared to the same quarter last year amounts to a 151% increase.
Sales of Apple’s line of Macs have seen smaller, but still significant growth over the same period last year with the company seeing 4 million units shipped, representing a 7% increase. With consumers using their iPhones and iPads more often for music playback, the iPod has suffered a little with a 15% drop in sales, totaling to 7.7 million units being shipped.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, who has presided over the company after taking over from Steve Jobs shared his thoughts on the facts and figures:
We’re thrilled with sales of over 35 million iPhones and almost 12 million iPads in the March quarter. The new iPad is off to a great start, and across the year you’re going to see a lot more of the kind of innovation that only Apple can deliver.
The American stock market has reacted in a positive fashion to the announcement and obviously share the same enthusiasm which Tim Cook and his team are showing with Apple’s stock price rising 37 points (at the time of writing) in the immediate aftermath of the release. For more information, and to read the full company press release head on over to Apple’s press site.
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