During quarterly earnings calls, many executives deploy language designed to puff up, excuse or obfuscate their companies’ recent performance. The goal is to make investors pant with delight over implied future success. And ultimately to give the company more money. Always. More. Money.
But when you’re Apple — with a mind-blowing market cap and a seemingly never-ending supply of hit products — you typically don’t need to craft hopeful-yet-non-material statements or deflect questions designed to get at the bottom line.
Apple’s next earnings call takes place this afternoon. If it’s anything like recent calls, CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will simply lay out the good news — though it’s not expected to be as good as it was in recent quarters.
This time analysts are erring on the side of caution, expecting Q2 earning per share of $1.43 versus $1.40 in Q2 2021, with slowing growth in the market-leading services business.