I’d like to start this report off with an excerpt from the last report, which ironically excerpted the one before that – to wit:

Possibly the biggest indicator of past research being of high quality is the ability to regurgitate it in the future as new research and have said research be considered of value, or better yet of extreme value and high quality. With that being said, I’d like all to realize that Our Q1 Report Said It All – Let’s Revisit How We Started That Report…

“Apple Is In Trouble – Plain & Simple!”

Apple has successfully transformed itself from a portable and desktop computer company to a mobile device company, and managed to do so right at the crux of the mobile computing boom. As such, it has benefitted mightily, briefly becoming the largest and most respected company in the world. Alas, what goes up must eventually come down. The largesse revenues and margins gleaned by Apple brought massive competition, and in the case of Google’s Android, business models specialized in gutting the fat margins which caused Apple to prosper. As a result, margin compression ensued, but very few actually saw a sign of it until it was too late (referenceDeconstructing The Most Accurate Apple Analysis Ever).”

This quick traipse down memory lane is quite useful for Apple is now paying for the perceived above average margin displays of its recent past by reaping the extreme margin compression to be seen as it has now full transformed itself into a mobile device company. Again, as quoted from our Q1 report,

“Apple is now paying the piper for its shift into mobile by having its pipeline effectively saturated with mobile products, thus nullifying the margin expansion that the move into mobile products has brought on. Mobile products had higher margins than their desktop/laptop counterparts...

The entire Apple story can be encapsulated in just two relatively simple charts. The first, found directly below, is profitability. Thus far, only the iPhone has been able to hold some ground but it has slowly been stripped of margin. The iPad business’s profitably is being gouged.

For those who haven’t done so, I strongly recommend that you read the last three Apple research reports. They have been absolutely on the money. Now, on to Apple’s most recent quarter…

Apple Still Has The Business and Financial Press Mesmerized With It’s RDF (Reality Distortion Field)

For some reason when I read management comments and financial statements I seem to see something totally different from Sell Side Analysts and the financial and business press. This is an excerpt from “Business Insider” on Apple’s Q4 earnings results:

Apple’s numbers are out, and they’re good.

Revenue, EPS, and iPhone sales are ahead of expectations. iPad sales were a little worse than expected, but not too bad.

The stock initially tanked after the numbers were out thanks to weaker than expected margin guidance. Apple guided to 36.5%-37.5%, which suggests a flat margin despite a new iPhone.

On the company’s earnings call, it explained why margin was lighter than expected and the stock came roaring back. At last check it was down slightly in after hours trading.

Apple’s margin will be hit by a combination of factors. It is selling new iPads that cost more to make, new laptops, foreign exchange issues, and most importantly, a $900 million sequential increase in deferred revenue thanks to all the software it is giving away with iOS and Macs.

On the earnings call, Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray said the real margin would have been closer to 38.5%, and Apple basically confirmed it. This sent the stock climbing.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-q4-earnings-2013-10#ixzz2jDN1vWa4

Let’s parse this piece by piece.

“Revenue, EPS, and iPhone sales are ahead of expectations.”

Three and a half years ago I released analysis that puts this myth to rest. Apple is one of the most accomplished of sandbagging management. Paying subscribers, reference Apple Earnings Guidance Analysis 08/12/2010

apple sandbaging1

apple sandbaging3

“iPad sales were a little worse than expected, but not too bad. “

I wonder how one defines “not too bad”…

ipad sales miserable and getting worse

“Apple guided to 36.5%-37.5%, which suggests a flat margin despite a new iPhone. “

I’ve warned, and warned, and warned….

Apple guided to 36.5%-37.5%, which suggests a flat margin despite a new iPhone.

Apple hardware costs spiking

On the company’s earnings call, it explained why margin was lighter than expected and the stock came roaring back. At last check it was down slightly in after hours trading.

On the earnings call, Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray said the real margin would have been closer to 38.5%, and Apple basically confirmed it. This sent the stock climbing.

Apple’s margins have been and will be hit harder as I’ve predicted. This non-sense about the deferred revenue from giving away software and Gene Munster’s “real margin” comments are utter nonsense. Apple’s reported margin IS ITS “REAL MARGIN”! The reason it is giving away its core software products for free is to compete with the entry and the threat of Microsoft’s Surface 2 tablet that comes bundled with a real, the real, office suite – Microsoft Office. This makes it real deal contender in the enterprise, where Office is not on the de facto standard – it is the standard. It also has to compete with Google’s Android who bought Quick Office and is now giving that office suite for free. For those who don’t think that makes a difference, what OS do you think took the iPad from 92% market share in 2010 to 32% market share last quarter?

There is a lot more contained in the upcoming (as in a few hours) Apple analysis for subscribers. Apple will have a very active year next year. The reason(s) is contained in the subscriber only report, in explicit detail, to be released in a few hours. I will update this post with links when it is ready for download. Yes, the truth is now for sale, and in Apple’s case you can get a month of it for $275.

I refer my subscribers to the research documents below for the answers…

Subscribers, download the Q3 2013 valuation reports (click here to subscribe).