MacBook shipments on schedule

Aaron Lee,Joseph Tsai,25 July 2012

Shipments of new version MacBooks will begin to increase in the third quarter of 2012 as originally scheduled, with total shipments in 2012 estimated at 16.2 million units, up 30% on year according to Taiwan-based supply chain makers.

Seeing the weakening global economy, some market watchers reportedly have reduced their iPad shipment forecasts to only 14 million units for the third quarter, while forecasts for the fourth quarter have also been reduced from 18 million units to only 15 million units, dropping annual iPad sales predications from 66 million units originally to 55 million units.

Apple has announced financial results for its fiscal third quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company posted quarterly revenues of US$35 billion and quarterly net profit of US$8.8 billion, or US$9.32 per diluted share. These results compare to revenues of US$28.6 billion and net profit of US$7.3 billion, or US$7.79 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 42.8% compared to 41.7% in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 62% of the quarter's revenues.

The Company sold 26 million iPhones in the quarter, representing 28% growth over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 17 million iPads during the quarter, an 84% increase over the year-ago quarter. The Company sold four million Macs during the quarter, a 2% increase over the year-ago quarter. Apple sold 6.8 million iPods, a 10% decline from the year-ago quarter.

Apple's Board of Directors has declared a cash dividend of US$2.65 per share of the company's common stock. The dividend is payable on August 16, 2012, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on August 13, 2012.