Apple has come out with a press release looking ahead to record financial gains in the fiscal year 2007. Macintosh computers, iPod portable music players, and the hot-selling iPhone mobile handset are all earmarked as major factors for a fantastic year.

According to Apple, revenues will hit around US$ 6.22 billion with US$ 904 million dollars in net profit. Those figures are significantly better than fiscal 2006's final monetary tally.

"We are very pleased to have generated over $24 billion in revenue and $3.5 billion in net income in fiscal 2007," said Steve Jobs, AppleÂ?s CEO. "WeÂ?re looking forward to a strong December quarter as we enter the holiday season with AppleÂ?s best products ever."

"Apple ended the fiscal year with $15.4 billion in cash and no debt," adds Peter Oppenheimer, AppleÂ?s CFO. "Looking ahead to the first quarter of fiscal 2008, we expect revenue of about $9.2 billion and earnings per diluted share of about $1.42."

Apple is looking poised to take over the holiday season with sales of its iPod, iPhone, and Mac computers expected to reach all-year highs in North America and Europe.

Apple reminds everyone, though, that this information is based on estimates using the most recent data available. External factors such as court decisions, consumer response, and economic conditions may affect the final results of fiscal 2007.

 

Apple has recently announced that it will gradually add new software features and applications to its hyped iPhone and Apple TV products free of charge, according to a report by Apple Insider.

Peter Oppenheimer, Apple's chief financial officer, notes that this is a bold step to leverage what Apple does best. Oppenheimer adds that some of the upcoming iPhone applications will be "entirely new applications." The new features and applications will be made through automatic software updates to both iPhone and Apple TV.

Apple has yet to accept iPhone orders through retail or its online store. As for the initial supply of the iPhone, chief operating officer Tim Cook notes that "It's very difficult to tell what demand is until you're shipping the product."

Will Apple's attempt at changing the perception of the cell phone as a "throw away" product work? We'd like to know what you have to say.

Apple expressed its confidence that its Mac OS X Leopard will stack up very well against Microsoft's fledgling Windows Vista system, saying that the latter is not a threat at all.

"We believe we have the superior operating system on the market today, and this release will only extend that. With the features and functionally and stability and security of Mac OS X, I don't really see Vista as a threat," says Peter Oppenheimer, chief financial officer of Apple.

He pointed out that the high hardware demands of the Vista will either scare off or require users to buy a new computer, which opens an opportunity for their wares to be considered.

He also said that historically, Apple's revenues always see a spike whenever a new OS comes out, even though their product has kept relatively silent this year, with Apple choosing to show it off sparingly in shows and choosing to highlight its other products instead.

A definite release date is also yet to be announced, with Oppenheimer reiterating Apple's "this Spring" answer to the question. Details as to the new features were available and they are as follows:

1. Time Machine- a backup utility which can also be used for data versioning
2. Spaces- a virtual desktop
3. An updated version of the Spotlight search application
4. Boot Camp= a system that allows Windows to run on Macs.

The figures are in and looks like Apple's ears are still ringing from busy cash register action. The Company posted revenue of $4.37 billion and a net quarterly profit of $472 million, or $.54 per diluted share for the fiscal 2006 third quarter. Last year's figure for the same quarter were revenue of $3.52 billion and a net profit of $320 million, or $.37 per diluted share. We did the math and that comes to a 30.3% gross margin (up from 29.7%).

If you're wondering where all the money came from, Apple shipped 1,327,000 Macintosh computers and 8,111,000 iPods during the said quarter which is a 12% growth in Macs and 32% growth in iPods year-over-year. Looks like every one's happy over at Apple.

Â?WeÂ?re very pleased to report the second highest quarterly sales and earnings in AppleÂ?s history, resulting in year-over-year revenue growth of 24 percent and earnings growth of 48 percent,Â? said Peter Oppenheimer, AppleÂ?s CFO. Â?Looking ahead to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2006, we expect revenue of about $4.5 to $4.6 billion.

Another happy guy is Apple CEO Steve Jobs. Â?WeÂ?re thrilled with the growth of our Mac business, and especially that over 75 percent of the Macs sold during the quarter used Intel processors. This is the smoothest and most successful transition that any of us have ever experienced," he said. Â?In addition, iPod continued to earn a US market share of over 75 percent and we are extremely excited about future iPod products in our pipeline.Â?

When we go to a store, especially when we're on a budget, the first thing that we look at is the item's price. But according to Robert Renck, owner of the private research firm R.L. Renck & Company, Apple does otherwise. He says he rarely gives a sell recommendation on Apple stock, because the company's financial disclosure is a "have faith, trust me" one.

The company has always practiced geographic disclosure that Renck deems not anymore suitable for the Apple of today. He stressed that the company is dealing with two distinct business models, which are computer manufacturing plus software creation and the consumer electronics industry.

But when Apple's chief financial officer, Peter Oppenheimer, was asked about the iPod's gross margin he quickly responded, "Our competitors would just love to know what our specific gross margins are. And we just don't want to help them."

So if you're considering putting your money on Apple, make sure to look first before you leap.