Final August stats for Apple show 'weaker' Mac sales
updated 05:25 pm EDT, Mon September 15, 2008
August NPD numbers arrive
As promised earlier in the day, NPD Group has published its final statistics for Apple sales during the month of August. iPod numbers are stronger than predicted, according to Piper Jaffray, sitting at an 8 percent growth year-over-year rather than the 6 percent consensus hinted at by The Street. Apple's total iPod sales for the September quarter are thus expected to be approximately 11 million.
Mac sales are not faring as well, Piper claims. As August numbers indicate 23 percent growth year-over-year, Apple is expected to hit between 29 to 34 percent for the whole of the quarter, or 2.8 to 2.9 million Macs. By comparison, Apple achieved growth in the mid-30s for the September quarter of 2007. The company may however be beating Street views, which suggest a mere 25 percent growth for the current quarter.
Piper suggests that Mac sales are being affected not just by the global economy, but by the lack of an overdue MacBook refresh. Piper proposes an October or November ship date; this may be backed up by other reports, which suggest that notebooks are already being delivered, and could be revealed by October 14th.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Tragedy!
Oh, dear, only 23% growth in sales? Most companies would kill for that kind of growth, and when you factor in the miserable state of the US economy and that MacBooks are overdue for an update, it's kind of ridiculous.
Watch the stock price take a hit, though.