Crushing Earnings Estimates? There's an App for That.

I’m utterly in awe of the great American earnings machine that is Apple Inc (AAPL).

This evening’s earnings report eruption was utterly remarkable given the environment.

From All Things Digital:

Apple’s September quarter saw, among other things, the release of Snow Leopard, the latest upgrade to its OS X operating system and the first public appearance of CEO Steve Jobs, who’d been on a medical leave of absence for a liver transplant. It was also the first full period since the company launched the iPhone 3GS, in late June.

Guys, think about this performance…

• Apple earned $1.82 a share on a top line of $9.87 billion.  This was versus consensus of $1.42/ $9.2 billion.

• They sold 10.2 million iPods, 3.05 million Macs.

• They also sold 7.4 million freakin’ iPhones – AND THIS IS WITH NO CONTRIBUTION FROM CHINA!  The iPhone from China Unicom doesn’t even hit until the end of this month.

I once foolishly bought naked puts on Apple in front of an earnings report back in 2006.  I learned my lesson, and I bet several people are learning theirs as we speak.

When they write the book about this decade in business, Chapter 1 is Apple, Chapter 2 is Steve Jobs.

Rock on, Cupertino!

Sources:

Apple’s Insanely Great Quarter (AllThingsD)

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Apple on Fire image from bhast2