iPod sales help Apple beat Q2 profit forecast

IDG News Service - Apple Computer Inc. reported today that it earned 47 cents per share on $4.4 billion in revenue during its second quarter.

Analysts polled by Thomson First Call had estimated that the company would earn 43 cents per share on $4.5 billion in revenue for the quarter that ended April 1. Net profit was $410 million.

Revenue and earnings were up from the same quarter a year ago, when Apple had a profit of $290 million, or 34 cents per share, on revenue of $3.24 billion.

Apple sold 1.1 million Macintosh computers and 8.5 million iPods in the quarter, which marks only a 4% growth in Mac hardware but a 61% growth in iPod sales from the year-ago quarter. During the first quarter of 2006, which is a high-sales period for the company because of holiday shopping, Apple sold 1.3 million Macintosh computers and 14 million iPods.

During its second quarter, Apple added a 1GB iPod Nano priced at $149 to its lineup and dropped prices on its iPod Shuffle models. The company also continued the process of moving its Macs onto chips from Intel Corp. and took the wraps off its new Boot Camp software, which lets users of its new Intel-based machines easily install Windows XP.

For the third quarter of 2006, Apple expects GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) earnings per diluted share of about 39 cents to 43 cents, including an estimated expense impact of 4 cents per share from noncash stock-based compensation. That translates to non-GAAP earnings per share of about 43 cents to 47 cents on revenue of about $4.2 billion to $4.4 billion.