Replies to post #55299 on Apple Inc (AAPL)

[langostino]

although I'm hesitant

to try and forecast beyond the current quarter, I did cut my initial numbers for each of the remaining quarters in FY'06 as, in light of recent trends they were far too high. Bottom line, at the moment my FY'06 eps projection just dipped under $2.00 (to $1.98, from a previous $2.38)

[Bootz]

lango, not sure how relevant the below is, but maybe worth revisiting. Originally posted on 3/30. Point? There are more iPod channels than there used to be.

BEST Buy Says Sales of Flat-Panel TVs, MP3 Players Boost Fourth-Quarter Profit

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- BEST Buy Co., the nation's largest consumer electronics retailer, said Thursday its profit grew 13 percent in its fourth fiscal quarter as sales improved from customers buying bigger-ticket items like flat-panel televisions, MP3 players and laptop computers.

Earnings for the three months ended Feb. 25 rose to $644 million, or $1.29 per share, from $572 million, or $1.13 per share, the previous year. The latest results matched the average earnings estimate from analysts polled by Thomson Financial.

Sales totaled $10.69 billion, a 16 percent increase from $9.23 billion a year earlier and topping the consensus target of $10.53 billion. Same-store sales -- or sales in locations open at least 14 months -- gained 7.3 percent, reflecting a 7.4 percent rise at domestic stores and 6.4 percent growth internationally.

BEST Buy said revenue rose across all of its channels, led by a 50 percent upswing in online sales. Demand for flat-panel TVs and MP3 players drove a 17.7 percent jump in same-store sales of consumer electronics, followed by a modest rise in home office products, the company said.

*****

Read between the lines, folks: "MP3 players" has gotta be codespeak for iPods.

FWIW