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Apple ( AAPL ) late Tuesday reported its first-ever year-over-year decline in iPhone sales and its first quarterly revenue drop since 2003. To soften the blow, Apple increased its dividend and share buyback plan. CEO Tim Cook also said business was “healthy” and that Apple has an “amazing” product pipeline. But the stock still fell nearly 8% in after-hours trading following the earnings release. During the regular trading session Tuesday, Apple stock fell 0.7% to 104.35, closing just above its 50-day moving average. Key iPhone chip suppliers Broadcom ( AVGO ), NXP Semiconductors ( NXPI ) and Skyworks Solutions ( SWKS ) also fell after hours. For its fiscal second quarter ended March 26, Apple earned $1.90 a share on sales of $50.6 billion, both missing views. On a year-over-year basis, earnings per share fell 18.5% while sales dropped 13%. Analysts polled by Thomson Reuters expected Apple to earn $2 a share on sales of $51.97 billion in the March quarter. Apple topped estimates for iPhone sales in the quarter, but still saw a sharp drop. It sold 51.19 million iPhones in fiscal Q2, down 16% from a year earlier. Financial analysts on average were looking for Apple to sell about 50 million iPhones during the March quarter. Greater China sales, including Taiwan and Hong Kong, tumbled 26% to $12.49 billion, after soaring 71% in the year-earlier quarter. For the current Q3, Apple is targeting overall revenue of $42 billion, based on the midpoint of guidance, which is well below estimates. It did not give an EPS target. Wall Street was modeling for Apple to earn $1.76 a share, down 5%, on sales of $47.32 billion, also down 5%, in the June quarter. $50 Billion For Shareholders Apple said its board authorized an increase of $50 billion to the company’s program to return capital to shareholders. Under the expanded program, Apple plans to spend a cumulative total of $250 billion of cash by the end of March 2018. As part of the updated program, the share repurchase authorization was raised to $175 billion from the $140 billion level announced last year. Apple also increased its quarterly dividend by 10% to 57 cents a share. Apple has signaled a hiring slowdown by cutting all of its contract recruiters in recent weeks, VentureBeat reported Monday . It also is laying off some full-time recruiters as well, the news website said. In all, more than 100 people were impacted by the moves. Gross Profit Margins Declining Apple’s gross profit margin dipped to 39.4% in Q2 vs. 40.8% a year earlier. Apple expects its gross margin to decline again in the current quarter, to 37.5%-38%. CEO Tim Cook described Q2 as a “challenging quarter.” “Despite the pause in our growth, our results reflect excellent execution by our team in the face of ongoing macroeconomic headwinds in much of the world and difficult year-over-year comparisons,” Cook said on a conference call with analysts. Apple faced currency weakness in most of its international markets. In constant currency, Apple’s revenue declined by 9% year over year, Cook said. Despite the decline in iPhone sales, Apple’s smartphone business remains “healthy and strong,” Cook said. Apple continues to see a high level of people switching from Android smartphones and other platforms, he said. Apple’s iPhone business accounted for 65% of the company’s total revenue in Q2. Apple also saw declines in its iPad and Mac computer businesses. Sales of iPads declined 19% in units and revenue in Q2. Mac sales fell 12% in units and 9% in revenue in the March quarter. Cook hinted at exciting products ahead. Analysts believe Apple is working on an electric car and an Internet TV service, among other things. “The future of Apple is very bright,” Cook said. “Our product pipeline has amazing innovations in store. … We are forging ahead with important investments in research and development, in our infrastructure and our supply chain. We’ve made 15 acquisitions in the last four quarters to accelerate our product and services road map and we’re always on the lookout for companies with great technology, talent and strategic fit.” Scalper1 News
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