Apple reports a quarterly profit of $18.4 billion, the largest in history
Apple's profits typically skyrocket during the fourth quarter, when new models of the iPhone often arrive and shiny new devices are purchased as holiday gifts. Last year Apple notched a record $18 billion in profit during this period, the largest ever recorded by a single public corporation. This year the company topped that, generating a profit of $18.4 billion on $75.9 billion in revenue during the last three months of 2015, according to The Verge.
But, the company also predicted the revenue for the second quarter of 2016, which for Apple is the first three months of this year, would come in between $50 and $53 billion. That is down from the $58 billion it earned during the second quarter of 2015, and would mark the first year-over-year revenue decline for Apple in the last thirteen years. It was the best of times, it was the worst of time.
There was only one new Apple device released during this period, the iPad Pro. But Apple also began selling the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus in China during the final three months of 2015, a region which has been the biggest driver of growth at Apple for the last year. While news that Apple suppliers were seeing a decline in orders has generated headlines in recent weeks, none of that slack is visible in this latest earnings release, thanks in large part to a boost from record-setting sales in China.