Financial estimates for $AAPL Apple earnings outlook

I am not particularly focused on this earnings report. If anything, I hope to learn more about the developments regarding China's issues.

Apple continues to struggle in China. The revenue of 14.73 billion dollars announced in the most recent quarter was 6.5% lower than the 15.76 billion dollars reported a year ago.
In the first nine months of this year, the revenue of 51.92 billion dollars was 9.7% lower than the 57.48 billion dollars reported by the company in the same period of 2023. In addition to regulatory issues, a domestic competitor in China called Huawei has caused business problems.

However, even if things did not go well in China, the company may still have growth opportunities in other regions. In particular, India, which is expected to continue expanding based on population trends. Other regions, including the USA, are also expected to continue growing, so even in the worst-case scenario, the company may only suffer minor setbacks in the long term.

Of course, if Apple were to lose the ability to manufacture iPhones in China, it would become a major issue. After all, about 90% of these devices are produced in China. Therefore, in conclusion, I don't think that problems in China will determine the success or failure of the business unless something significant happens. Nevertheless, it could be a burden for the company in the short term. If there are no changes during this earnings call, I believe it is appropriate to rate this company as 'Hold' at this point.