Tag Archives: aapl

Google Seen Closer To Driverless Car Pact With Fiat Chrysler

Alphabet ’s ( GOOGL ) Google and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles ( FCAU ) are moving closer to a non-exclusive pact to develop self-driving cars, says a Bloomberg report. Google and Fiat Chrysler initially plan to develop self-driving prototypes based on the carmaker’s Pacifica minivan, the report  said. Speculation over a Google-Fiat Chrysler deal  had surfaced late last month. Google and Fiat Chrysler would both be free to cooperate in driverless technology with other partners despite their pending pact. Google had earlier been in negotiations with General Motors ( GM ), but those talks reportedly stalled. GM has invested in Lyft as part of an alliance that involves autonomous efforts with the ride-hailing service. Other companies in the autonomous car race include Tesla Motors ( TSLA ), Apple ( AAPL ), Toyota ( TM ) and Ford ( F ). Apple has yet to confirm any car plans, though its intentions are seen as an open secret. In April, the company hired Chris Porritt, who had been Tesla’s vice president of vehicle engineering. He will work on Titan, Apple’s car project, say reports. A German newspaper last month said a potential Apple partner is Magna Steyr, the world’s largest contract automaker.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Ends Stock Slide With Reassuring TV Appearance

Apple ( AAPL ) stock rose Tuesday, a day after CEO Tim Cook appeared on CNBC’s “Mad Money” to discuss the company’s prospects after last week’s disappointing March-quarter earnings report. Apple shares were up 1%, above 94, in midday trading on the stock market today . Before Tuesday, the stock had fallen for eight straight trading sessions, tying its record losing streak. Apple stock has never had nine straight down days, but it has had four eight-day slumps, Bloomberg reported . The last time Apple had eight straight down days was in July 1998, a month before recently returned CEO Steve Jobs introduced the all-in-one iMac computer, the first in a line of hit products that fueled the company’s comeback from near bankruptcy. Cook told “ Mad Money ” host Jim Cramer that the downturn in Apple shares was a “huge overreaction” to the company’s fiscal Q2 report on April 26. “We just had an incredible quarter by absolute standards, $50 billion-plus in revenues and $10 billion in profits,” Cook said. “To put that in perspective, the $10 billion is more than any other company makes. So it was a pretty good quarter, but not up to the Street’s expectations clearly.” Cook acknowledged that iPhone owners are taking longer to upgrade their handsets. The company is facing difficult comparisons to the hugely popular iPhone 6 series, as well as difficult macroeconomic conditions, he said. The smartphone market still holds a lot of opportunity for Apple, especially in emerging markets like India, he said. IPhone In Line For ‘Great Innovation’ Cook hinted at “great innovation” coming in future iPhones that will entice people to upgrade. “We are going to give you things that you can’t live without, that you just don’t know you need today,” Cook said. Cook also talked up Apple’s fast-growing services business, including the App Store, Apple Music and Apple Pay. Cook said concerns about Apple’s prospects in China are overblown. Smartphone sales have slowed there, but Apple is seeing a big increase in switchers from Android phones. Plus, its recently launched iPhone SE, a lower-priced 4-inch smartphone, is selling well, he said. “I could not be more optimistic about China,” Cook said. “I think the long-term thesis is intact.” Cook made veiled comments about upcoming new products that Apple is developing. “We’re fairly secretive. We don’t talk about products that are in the road map,” Cook said. “But I would tell you that we’re incredibly excited about things we’re working on. Incredibly excited. And so I don’t want to be more specific than that.” Sterne Agee CRT analyst Rob Cihra on Tuesday reiterated his buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of 135, despite the company’s challenges in China. “China flipped from Apple’s biggest tailwind to headwind last quarter,” he said in a research report. “Yet we do not see China’s slowdown as Apple-specific nor competitive.” Apple is facing difficult comparisons to huge growth from the iPhone 6 launch in China, especially from leading wireless carrier China Mobile ( CHL ), Cihra said. Apple’s sales in China fell 26% year over year in the March quarter. “The math hurts, as China accounted for 26% of revenue in calendar year 2015 and was responsible for 43% of Apple’s entire growth calendar years 2011-2015.” RELATED: Has Apple Lost Its Mojo? Epic Stock Slide Continues For Eighth Day Apple’s PC Market Share Hits New High; Windows Notches Fresh Low

Apple Chipmaker Integrated Device Tops Q4 Views On Record Sales

Integrated Device Technology ( IDTI ) stock rocketed early Tuesday after the Apple ( AAPL ) Watch and Samsung Galaxy supplier topped analysts’ fiscal Q4 and full-year estimates on record quarterly and wireless charging sales. Needham analyst Quinn Bolton reiterated a buy rating and upped his price target on Integrated Device stock to 27 from 26. Integrated Device’s fiscal Q4 included the completed acquisition of privately held ZMDI. For the quarter ended April 3, Integrated Device reported $189.4 million in sales and 36 cents earnings per share minus items, up a respective 20% and 24% vs. the year-earlier quarter. Wall Street had modeled $187.1 million and 33 cents. Three months ago, Integrated Device guided to $187 million in sales, plus or minus $5 million. Integrated Device wrapped up fiscal 2016 with $697 million in sales and $1.37 EPS ex items, crushing the consensus of 12 analysts polled by Thomson Reuters for $695.2 million and $1.34. Year over year, sales and EPS grew 22% and 49%, respectively. Current-quarter sales guidance for $191 million, plus or minus $5 million, met the consensus for $191.6 million and would be up 6% vs. the year-earlier quarter. Integrated Device stock was up nearly 7% in early trading in the stock market today , near 21. But shares are down 20% this year, hurt by a 27% plunge on Feb. 2 after the chipmaker’s fiscal Q4 sales guidance missed expectations. Wireless charging sales hit $19 million in Q4, CFO Brian White told analysts on the company’s earnings conference call late Monday. In that segment, Integrated Device supplies the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy. Consumer end-market sales, which include wireless charging sales, rose 53% quarter over quarter and represented 17% of total sales (about $32.2 million), CEO Greg Waters said on the call. That business benefited from a full quarter of ZMDI’s sensors. Automotive and industrial sales of $16 million exceeded views by $2 million, Bolton wrote in a research report. Communication and computing sales, however, declined by a respective 7% and 10% quarter over quarter. For fiscal Q1, communications and auto/industrial sales are expected to grow a respective 1% and 6% sequentially. Consumer and computing sales are modeled flat. Integrated Device trades at a steep discount, Bolton wrote. “IDT holds leading market segment share in products that accounted for 77% of fiscal 2016 revenue,” he wrote. “IDT’s revenue concentration in these four segments may be a reason IDTI trades at a discount to its peer group.”