Consistent with all that's going on in the world, Apple ($AAPL) is expected to report negative year-over-year quarterly earnings estimates April 30. According to Zacks Investment Research, the consensus EPS forecast for Apple's Q4 is $2.09 compared to $2.46 last year. Revenue is also expected to be down, but not by numbers that should give investors any pause — even the lowest revenue projections are coming in well above $50 billion for the quarter.
In short, Apple looks to be playing things safe on all fronts. Its recent iPhone SE launch has been positively received as an affordable, powerful option to the pricey iPhone 11 in a time when affordable things are appreciated. And internally, the company has cooled off on hiring across all but a very few fronts.
In short, Apple looks to be playing things safe on all fronts. Its recent iPhone SE launch has been positively received as an affordable, powerful option to the pricey iPhone 11 in a time when affordable things are appreciated. And internally, the company has cooled off on hiring across all but a very few fronts.
Overall, hiring has returned to levels seen from about 6 months ago. That said, the company continues to hire on several fronts for crucial engineering and artificial intelligence, reflecting a clear focus on a future post-pandemic world.
Apple's hardware group is still seeking 1,570 people, up from around 1,300 6 months ago.
Meanwhile, the company remains bullish on hiring engineers and designers for its Machine Learning and AI team, which is focused on everything from the company's Siri digital assistant to other deep-learning future tech.
Apple's retail operations have been directly hit by stay-at-home orders around the world. The company shuttered stores in various markets as conditions required. However, it hasn't permanently closed any locations, and will likely see positive sales movement once people are free to move about — and buy new gadgets.
Apple still lists more than 500 retail locations in 24 countries, none of which have been permanently closed.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales, and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue, and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.
Further Reading:
- Apple is on a hiring freeze ... except for its Hardware, Machine Learning and AI teams
- Apple slows hiring globally after more than a year of steady job posting growth
- Apple has more job openings right now than it ever has
