Apple needs new products and strong sales - analyst

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 9:45am — Jonny Evans

All eyes are on Apple as it prepares to reveal its Q4 and FY2008 data later this month - with investment analysts saying the company must deliver new products or strong sales if it is to get past recent health-scare led downgrades.

Speaking to Cult of Mac (CoM), Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster explained that should Apple fail to reveal health Mac sales, "then the importance of the new Mac increases substantially".

Of course, like everyone else, Munster expects Apple to step up to the plate and offer newly designed MacBooks, "including a sub-$1,000 Mac," CoM informs.

The analyst also made the kind of comment that would lead anyone watching the Apple ecosystem to believe the launch of new Macs may have seen a little delay, explaining, "“The product changes we have seen thus far do not warrant such a dramatic decrease in margins."

Apple had warned that its margins would be impacted during the current quarter by the introduction of lower-margin new items.

Munster also warned that current investor concerns on Apple stock are "over-estimated", and (it seems) hinted the company would exceed its stated Q4 guidance.

( Filed Under:

Industry Intelligence

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Comments

Really?

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 10:42am — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

It takes an investment analyst to determine that a company needs new products and strong sales to do well? Hey Piper Jaffray, I'll do Gene Munster's job for half his pay. Here's proof that I'm qualified (and I didn't have any help with this): Sports teams must win as many games as possible to have a good season.

what?? It depends on the

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 12:21pm — hybrid (not verified)

what?? It depends on the teams... some teams must always win to have a good season, others must win only a few times so they can stay in a certain league to have a good season... so no, you're a rubbish analyst :P ... lol

They should update their

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 12:40pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

They should update their products badly!!!!!

whoa.

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 1:03pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

i'd prefer they do it well, but ok. let's try it your way. what should they ruin first?

Analyst is Latin for

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 1:27pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

Analyst is Latin for Idiot.
Yes Apple needs to upgrade its products on a regular basis.
Yes they need to drive their iPhone wedge strategy to convert more people to Mac.
Yes most analysts are not as intelligent as the people who clean the offices of the companies they claim to 'know'.
Here's what's amazing.
I just cleaned out a bunch of old Wired magazines and only 11 years ago they had an issue with Apple and the one word Pray.
Apple was nearly out of business.
The past 10 years at Apple should be its own business school textbook on how to turnaround companies with a loyal base.
For those of us who are the core of the Apple faithful, seeing an Apple store filled people who are getting into Apple for the first time is a beautiful sight.
How far we have come for the conversation now around Apple is a bunch of analysts saying the most inane comments when they were all forecasting its doom not so long ago.
So ramble on goofballs.
I'll take heart to see so many tweens, teens, X and Y gen and Boomers all bustling around my local store.

i don't think the precipitous

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 3:30pm — terry (not verified)

i don't think the precipitous drop in apple stock price is due to "health-scare" (assuming the writer means concerns about steve jobs' health). The drop's due to the niche apple is in, the market it serves, the prices it charges, all taken within the context of the widening global economic crisis, which WILL have effects on all of us, businesses and consumers alike.

oh, and "health" in the second graf should be "healthy". I'm just sayin'....

In what way does Apple need

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 5:28pm — HOWEVER... (not verified)

In what way does Apple need to 'get past' the analyst downgrades?
Are Apple going to go out of business during this economic downturn?

They are doing great in their segment and often have volatile stock as a reflection of volatile analysts.

Sure new products are nice but so are well done products .

Tue, 10/07/2008 - 7:25pm — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

So the issue is what is the rush? The evidence is pretty clear that rushing to meet internal or external deadlines is having a really negative impact on the quality of Apple products.

By the way it does look like Apple might be trying to slow down and get things right. Personally I don't think we will see a MBP before the end of the year. Partly for Apple to get it right and partly because I suspect that they may go to a Silver / Zinc battery.

The invitations for the

Wed, 10/08/2008 - 1:45am — 9to5Mac Noob (not verified)

The invitations for the special event for the new iPods were sent out a full week ahead of the presentation. There's now less than a week until the rumoured October 14th release date. So where's the invitations?