Earnings call is Apple's opportunity to 'change the tone of the conversation'

Posted:
in AAPL Investors edited January 2014
Apple is in a position to work some of its "magic" during this week's quarterly earnings conference call, which could erase the negative sentiment that his surrounded the company's stock for months.

Analyst Chris Whitmore of Deutsche Bank believes Apple needs to take charge with Wednesday's conference call, he said in a note to investors. By doing so, the company could "reinvigorate excitement" among investors, and also "rekindle its past PR magic."

"The news cycle on Apple has turned decidedly negative following the iPhone 5 launch, the Maps snafu, traction from competitors in the 5-inch and 6-inch Android space, and general perception from the media that Apple has lost its mojo," Whitmore said. "Apple needs to change the tone of the conversation."

Cook & Oppenheimer
Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Peter Oppenheimer will lead Wednesday's earnings call.


He expects the focal point of Apple's call on Wednesday will be the state of iPhone demand into 2013. Whitmore's own checks with carriers have found that iPhone 5 demand remains healthy, and he has dismissed recent concerns regarding reductions in component orders as "overblown."

While he believes Apple will attempt to take control with Wednesday's call, don't expect the company to reveal insight into its future product pipeline. Apple has always maintained its secrecy during investor calls and executives refuse to respond to inquiries about potential future plans.

"Although we don't expect Apple to comment on new products in conjunction with its earnings release, we believe new products (iPhone segmentation, iPad mini with Retina display, refreshed iPad and an Apple TV) are on the horizon, which should improve Apple's growth outlook," he said.

Apple will report its earnings after the market closes on Wednesday, and a conference call featuring Chief Executive Tim Cook and Chief Financial Officer Peter Oppenheimer will follow at 5 p.m. Eastern. AppleInsider will have full live coverage.

For a closer look of Apple's first quarter earnings for fiscal 2013, see AppleInsider's in-depth preview, featuring Wall Street expectations for revenue, margins, and individual product sales.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 51


    Dear manipulators,


     


    Get bent.




    Sincerely,


    Tim Cook, et. al.

  • Reply 2 of 51
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Changing the public's perception starts with changing the media's. The media seems hell bent on promoting every negative rumor they can if it paints Apple as failing.
  • Reply 3 of 51
    If rumors are correct, Tim Cook, unlike SJ, is openly more concerned with stock price. Of course, after SJ's passing, Apple stock went into orbit, so SJ was not tested in that new environment.

    Tim Cook certainly must be concerned with the recent stock decline. My concern with Apple continues to be the paucity of innovative minds at the top of Apple. SJ Ive Forstall were key players. Forstall self-destructed, SJ gone. Can Ive do it alone? Not likely. He's significantly outnumbered.
  • Reply 4 of 51
    solipsismxsolipsismx Posts: 19,566member
    Changing the public's perception starts with changing the media's. The media seems hell bent on promoting every negative rumor they can if it paints Apple as failing.

    But the media craves Apple news because it gets eyeballs. Negative news getting more eyeballs is just the way it goes. So long as Apple has all the mindshare this will not change.
  • Reply 5 of 51
    stelligentstelligent Posts: 2,680member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Tallest Skil View Post


    Dear manipulators,


     


    Get bent.




    Sincerely,


    Tim Cook, et. al.



    It's important to recognize that, quite possibly, the "manipulators" who have kept $AAPL below $550 may well as the ones responsible for the surge during the summer. 

  • Reply 6 of 51
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    Cook: Eff you, stock manipulators. More record setting numbers that you should choke on. Again who in their frakking mind would think we would order 65MM LCDs for a non holiday quarter. Eff all of you.
  • Reply 7 of 51
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    If rumors are correct, Tim Cook, unlike SJ, is openly more concerned with stock price. Of course, after SJ's passing, Apple stock went into orbit, so SJ was not tested in that new environment.

    Tim Cook certainly must be concerned with the recent stock decline. My concern with Apple continues to be the paucity of innovative minds at the top of Apple. SJ Ive Forstall were key players. Forstall self-destructed, SJ gone. Can Ive do it alone? Not likely. He's significantly outnumbered.

    Apple stock up 20% since Cook took over. Outside of Ive, the rest of Apple employees are mindless drones.
  • Reply 8 of 51


    Originally Posted by jungmark View Post

    Outside of Ive, the rest of Apple employees are mindless drones.


     


    ¡

  • Reply 9 of 51
    jungmarkjungmark Posts: 6,926member
    ¡

    I didn't think I needed the tag for that.
  • Reply 10 of 51
    aaarrrggghaaarrrgggh Posts: 1,609member
    Can Ive do it alone?

    The real opportunities for Apple may well be outside the realm of industrial design and more in the areas they faltered at in the past. The loss of Forestall, Fadell, and others may not be that material in that arena, and I don't think it is really where Ive shines.
  • Reply 11 of 51
    512ke512ke Posts: 782member


    Don't worry.


     


    No matter how good these earnings are (and they will be wonderful!) there will be SOMETHING negative.


     


    I don't know if it's going to be Mac sales, profit, or margins.  But within all the gold there will be one spec of dirt.


     


    And that spec will inform the screaming headlines in the blogs.


     


    And the stock will go down.


     


    Why do I know this?  Because I need it to go up lol!


     


    I love Apple.  I hate AAPL.

  • Reply 12 of 51
    65c81665c816 Posts: 136member
    Isn't it interesting how Google didn't meet expectations and still went up 4%?

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/google-profit-jumps-as-sales-surge-2013-01-22?siteid=bnbh
  • Reply 13 of 51
    paul94544paul94544 Posts: 1,027member
    This how it will probably go:

    Apple announces record sales stock price jumps up to 550 and beyond

    Over next few weeks, media (controlled by: he who shall not be named, ahem, WSJ/CNET/.. and all the other blogosphere parasites) starts its next round of negativity on Apple, using the traditonal post holiday weak Qtr sales forecasts as an excuse to paint a picture of Apple losing ground, add to that they will jump on anything else negative and at the same time pumping up Samsung, MS and others. The stock price will fall again, after the major .: fund have taken a 550-490= 60/490 profit i.e.: about 12% profit, then will buy in again at the next low in preparation for next Qtr BS cycle. It must be fun doing this 4 times per year and making 50% on your money per year. The interesting part in all of this is how long can the people on the wrong side of these trades survive repeated losses? I guess they are already pretty much tapped out and exhausted because the share price isn't rebounding like a coiled spring as much now as it did a few years ago and consequently the heavy hitters have been really upping the amount of negative noise on trashing Apple. I think that Apple may become less of a PUMP&DUMP/ TRASH&BUY opportunity in future because much of trading volume will become mostly investors who are already wise to the game. Just check the volume and trade sizes and you will start to see that picture. At that point they will move on to new victims in the indexes.
  • Reply 14 of 51


    media negativity abounds, and if Apple hits a home run, then it won't measure up to the "whisper" numbers, or the forward looking statements won't be strong enough.  It's a game of king of the hill, when you get to the top, everyone tries to pull you down.  The competition has a good aim point, the media loves to watch the mighty fall, and the manipulators love the game.  It's fun to watch the game, but the products are the best so who cares about the stock price.

  • Reply 15 of 51
    Over the years, all I've heard is that Apple is nearing collapse. Every year, 'can Apple keep it up?' Even when Steve Jobs was in charge... When the iPad was introduced all the investors and news media were appalled - but the public loved it. Now everyone is scrambling to get in on the 'big iPod' bandwagon. iPhone 3gs - noone will buy it. iPhone 4s - oh no, we were expecting the iPhone 5. It never stops, ever. Whether Apple is going up or down, the headlines will always be the same. When the iPhone 5 came out - we're dissapointed, it's just a bigger screen, faster processor, and slimmer design, how is that an upgrade?
  • Reply 16 of 51
    WSJ wins! Now Apple has to answer to the all-powerful media! Hahahaha!!! Suck on it, Apple! /s
  • Reply 17 of 51
    cash907cash907 Posts: 893member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by digitalclips View Post



    Changing the public's perception starts with changing the media's. The media seems hell bent on promoting every negative rumor they can if it paints Apple as failing.


     


    Because that's what they do: build you up just to tear you down later. It's happened to everyone, from Sony to Samsung to Sears, and now it's Apple's turn on the spit.

  • Reply 18 of 51
    cash907cash907 Posts: 893member

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Suddenly Newton View Post



    WSJ wins! Now Apple has to answer to the all-powerful media! Hahahaha!!! Suck on it, Apple! /s


     


    Nikkei published an identical report, which turned out to be true. How the market interpreted the facts in that report is on the market, not WSJ or Nikkei. 

  • Reply 19 of 51
    flaneurflaneur Posts: 4,526member
    If rumors are correct, Tim Cook, unlike SJ, is openly more concerned with stock price. Of course, after SJ's passing, Apple stock went into orbit, so SJ was not tested in that new environment.

    Tim Cook certainly must be concerned with the recent stock decline. My concern with Apple continues to be the paucity of innovative minds at the top of Apple. SJ Ive Forstall were key players. Forstall self-destructed, SJ gone. Can Ive do it alone? Not likely. He's significantly outnumbered.

    So you don't believe Ive when he talks about the brilliant people he has working around him?

    I would be very surprised if he didn't.
  • Reply 20 of 51

    Quote:

    Originally Posted by waldobushman View Post



    If rumors are correct, Tim Cook, unlike SJ, is openly more concerned with stock price. Of course, after SJ's passing, Apple stock went into orbit, so SJ was not tested in that new environment.



    Tim Cook certainly must be concerned with the recent stock decline. My concern with Apple continues to be the paucity of innovative minds at the top of Apple. SJ Ive Forstall were key players. Forstall self-destructed, SJ gone. Can Ive do it alone? Not likely. He's significantly outnumbered.


     


    Why "must" he be concerned? AAPL is still on an upward trajectory. The $700 stock price was an aberration based on their consistent growth curve. Look at their 5 year and 10 year progression. This isn't a game of quarters for Apple. Dumb money will chase any growth stock.

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