CNN
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Apple on Thursday reported that its revenue fell 3% to $94.8 billion for the first three months of the year as consumers scale back spending on smartphones and computers amid looming recession fears.
The company’s revenue was slightly better than what Wall Street had expected, but it nonetheless represented the second consecutive quarterly revenue decline for the iPhone maker.
Apple attempted to appease investors by announcing up to $90 billion in share buybacks. Shares of Apple were largely flat in after-hours trading Thursday following teh results.
Despite the continued revenue decline, there were bright spots in the report.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple hit a “a March quarter record for iPhone despite the challenging macroeconomic environment” and that the installed base of active devices reached an all-time high.
Apple’s latest quarterly earnings report comes amid a sharp decline in PC and smartphone sales globally after a surge earlier in the pandemic.
Worldwide PC shipments declined 30% in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the year prior, according to data from Gartner. Global smartphone shipments plunged 14.6% last quarter, according to separate data from market intelligence firm IDC.
Apple’s report on Thursday caps off a closely-watched earnings season for Silicon Valley amid broader economic jitters. All five Big Tech companies beat Wall Street’s estimates, but the numbers paint a stark picture of the industry at this moment.
Apple and its peers once enjoyed seemingly limitless growth. Now these business are struggling to grow sales and profits – or posting declines.
