Apple Inc.‘s status keeps climbing and climbing. Just yesterday, it was announced that they reached their most profitable quarter ever, surpassing prior expectations with a $3.4 billion profit in the last three months of 2009, which is close to a 50 percent jump from a year before that.
Apple’s promotions of discounts during the holiday season lured shoppers to buy their products, particularly their computers. It resulted in a $3.4 million total of computer sales in its first fiscal quarter, up 33 percent from last year. During the quarter, Apple also sold 8.7 million iPhones and 21 million iPods, and this included major new markets like China and South Korea.
They are also very successful at promoting the brand abroad. With a market capitalization of $183 billion, Apple has become the second-largest technology company in the nation, trailing Microsoft.
Although many question the amount of momentum the brand can keep, they clearly haven’t heard about their new “gadget,” which is rumored to be a revolutionary tablet computer. Apple analysts expect the latest item will allow users to watch movies, read books, and surf the Internet. “I wouldn’t want to take away your joy of surprise on Wednesday when you see our latest creation,” said Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook.
Apple earned $3.4 billion, or $3.67 per share in its first quarter, which ended on December 26, 2009, compared with $2.3 billion, or $2.50 a share in the earlier period. Revenue topped $15.7 billion with 42 percent of sales in the U.S.
