lukei

birko said:

81% - I would have thought that rather low retention rate in the retail market. I haven't worked in retail for over 12 years, but back then, we never had more than 5% staff loss in any given year - 18000+ employees (not counting those who reached retirement age). 

ac1234 said:

mr. h said:

No, this is not about "changing the rules”. It is about applying the rules as they always have been. Ireland may have reached a deal with Apple that was in actual fact illegal, i.e. against the rules, as the rules always have been. No rules have changed. The EU is just trying to apply the existing rules.

Now, on a separate note - AI, will you please stop using “revenue” when you mean “profit”. These two things are not the same. Companies pay tax on profits, not revenue.

Are you really sure about that?

http://ec.europa.eu/taxation_customs/taxation/vat/how_vat_works/index_en.htm

This article does not address the violation of preferential treatment to Apple vs the much blogged "taxes to the EU".  It is linked to show that what is taxed (revenue or profit) is not as clear cut w/i the EU vis a vis American tax practices.

sog35 said:

They sold way more than 8.8 million Apple Watch in 2015.  This report is BS

sog35 said:

lukei said:

So you don't trust a CEO who has overseen revenue increases of that level because analysts and traders are leading the share price where they want it? Why would he be bothered with your return on share price appreciation? They pay dividends, they are buying shares back at what you yourself say are below their real value. 

Ive heard of circular arguments but you take the class prize. 

There has been revenue growth the last 3 years (actually only the last 1.5 years) not because of the brillance of Tim Cook.  Revenue grew because they released a bigger phone. PERIOD.  And any idiot on the street could have told you that Apple needs to release a bigger phone.

Take out iPhone growth and what do you have?

iPad is tanking.
Mac is up marginally.
AppleTV is flat.
Software/Services are up marginally.
Watch is up but just takes the place of iPod.

The only good thing Tim Cook has done is release a big iPhone. Which is the biggest no brainer in the history of man.  All his other moves have been absolute crap:

1. AppleMusic - 2 years too late
2. AppleTV - 2 years too late. Plus no 4k and no live TV subs.
3. iPad - been crap under Cook. Ever since Jobs died the iPad has been tanking. 
4. Software/Services - up only because of increase in iPhone units.
5. Mac - nothing innovative. Just thinner. Growth has been marginal. Which is a huge disappointment considering the massive growth of the iOS user base and the absolute failure of Windows8.  Millions were begging to get off of Windows but Apple still sells the Mac for way too much to get massive migration.
6. ApplePay - absolute failure. I have a Watch and 6+ but stop using ApplePay because 90% of the stores don't accept it.
7. Stock performance. Absolute CRAP. Worse than much less risky indexs and got totally destroyed by any of the other big tech companies by 1000% or more.