Shares of Apple hit a record high Wednesday, bringing its market cap within $10 billion of the coveted $1 trillion mark. The jump came after the company posted better-than-expected earnings for its fiscal third quarter and forecast revenue for the current period would be higher than analyst expectations.
While the tech giant sold fewer of its flagship iPhones than expectedー41.3 million units versus estimates for 41.8 millionーthe average selling price of $724 was above forecasts.
In a conference call after the report, CEO Tim Cook said, “We’re expanding our reach into emerging markets and seeing strong double-digit growth in revenue, and we’re making great progress toward our goal of significantly expanding our services business."
Some analysts were concerned there would be a drop off in demand for the company's highest-priced iPhone X, which sports a starting price tag of $999. The three months ending in July are often considered the most "boring" quarter for Apple, with the holiday season behind it and many customers waiting for the newest set of offerings, usually unveiled in the fall. But in an interview with Reuters, Apple CFO Luca Maestri said the iPhone X was the company's best-selling model during the quarter.
Another bright point for Appleーrevenues from its services business, which includes its App Store, Apple Music, and iCloud. Sales in that sector rose 31 percent to $9.5 billion.
The company didn't report a major impact from Chinese tariffs in the quarter, but Cook said the company would continue to monitor the situation.
Overall, revenues came in at $53.3 billion for the quarter. The company said sales for its fiscal fourth quarter, which would include early sales of its latest devices, would be between $60 and $62 billion.
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Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
Roomba maker iRobot has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, but says that it doesn’t expect any disruptions to devices as the more than 30-year-old company is taken private under a restructuring process. iRobot said that it is being acquired by Picea through a court-supervised process. Picea is the company's primary contract manufacturer. The Bedford, Massachusetts-based anticipates completing the prepackaged chapter 11 process by February.
Serbia’s prosecutor for organized crime has charged a government minister and three others with abuse of position and falsifying of documents related to a luxury real estate project linked to U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. The charges came on Monday. The investigation centers on a controversy over a a bombed-out military complex in central Belgrade that was a protected cultural heritage zone but that is facing redevelopment as a luxury compound by a company linked to Kushner. The $500 million proposal to build a high-rise hotel, offices and shops at the site has met fierce opposition from experts at home and abroad. Selakovic and others allegedly illegally lifted the protection status for the site by falsifying documentation.
