Mac sales up 26 percent in December quarter
updated 10:40 am EST, Tue January 19, 2010
NPD figures above Street consensus
Mac sales rose 26 percent year-over-year in the December quarter, according to new figures from the NPD Group. Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster notes that the growth is substantially higher than Street expectations, which called for a shift of only 19 percent. Munster is subsequently raising his predictions for exact Mac shipments in the quarter, from 2.9 million units to 3.1.
The rise is thought to be connected to the release of 27-inch iMacs, as well as more practically affordable MacBook Pros. Apple also revised the basic plastic MacBook in October, giving it a unibody design and faster components. Mac sales in general appear to have been unaffected by the recent recession.
Munster argues that Street consensus will have to go higher in 2010, as it is calling for 14 percent growth overall this year. Apple is currently showing 20 percent growth. "2010 shaping up to be the year of the Mac," claims Munster. The analyst is meanwhile holding to a prediction of 9.3 million iPhones for the December quarter, above the Street's 9.1 million figure.
Apple is set to formally announce results on January 25th.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 2006
Good feeling
Visited major University this week. The laptop of choice for their honors students is a Mac. The bookstore had major Apple product displays (Bigger than most BestBuy arrangements). Only one Windows machine was visible. As a member of a visiting parent group it was interesting to hear the Mac versus PC debate won by the Mac supporters. The debate would not have occurred five years ago and I believe will not occur in the future as the whole campus thing goes Mac. Feeling good as long and especially today as stock rallies.