Apple. After uncharacteristically tepid sales in the July-to-September quarter, Apple came back with a vengeance in last three months of 2011, vastly exceeding analysts’ estimates and setting records.
Apple said it sold 37 million iPhones in the quarter, double the figure of the previous quarter and more than twice as many as it sold in the 2010 holiday quarter.
Net income in the fiscal first quarter was $13.06 billion, $13.87 per share. That was up 118 percent from $6 billion, $6.43 per share, a year ago. Revenue was $46.33 billion, up 73 percent from a year ago.
Analysts polled by FactSet were expecting earnings of $10.04 per share for the latest quarter.
Yahoo. The Internet company’s latest financial results show it is still losing ground in the battle for online advertising. The fourth-quarter breakdown announced Tuesday is the latest in a succession of ho-hum performances.
The company earned $296 million, 24 cents per share, in the October-to-December period. That is down 5 percent from $312 million, 24 cents per share, a year earlier. The earnings matched analysts’ estimates. Fourth-quarter revenue dropped 13 percent from the previous year to $1.32 billion.
McDonald’s. Budget-conscious diners continue to come in, but investors are beginning to worry about the fast-food giant’s higher prices and upcoming expenses.
After the company reported Tuesday that net income jumped 11 percent in the fourth quarter, chief executive Jim Skinner said his company can perform well in any economy.
In the fourth quarter, McDonald’s net income of $1.38 billion translated to $1.33 per share, beating the $1.29 predicted by analysts polled by FactSet.
Revenue jumped 10 percent to $6.82 billion.
Verizon. A fourth-quarter loss came after booking a pension charge and having higher subsidy costs for rising iPhone sales.
The net loss was $2.02 billion, compared with a profit of $2.64 billion a year earlier, Verizon said Tuesday. Earnings, excluding some items, fell to 52 cents a share, matching the average of estimates compiled by Bloomberg. The pretax charge for a pension-plan revaluation was $3.4 billion.
Harley-Davidson. The iconic motorcycle maker posted a profit of $105.7 million for the fourth quarter, boosted by improved consumer confidence that prompted more riders to buy its often-pricey bikes.
The profit contrasted with a loss in the same period a year ago. The company expects to ship more motorcycles this year.
Harley-Davidson reported net income of 46 cents per share for the three months that ended Dec. 31. That contrasts with a loss of $46.8 million, 20 cents per share, a year ago.
Excluding discontinued operations, the Milwaukee-based company earned 24 cents per share.The adjusted profit fell a penny short of Wall Street predictions.
Johnson & Johnson. A slew of charges for recalls, product liability, litigation and an acquisition dragged the health-care giant’s fourth-quarter profit down to barely a tenth of what it made a year ago, and some recalled products won’t be back until the end of the year.
J&J said Tuesday that net income was $218 million, 8 cents per share, down from $1.94 billion, or 70 cents a share, a year earlier.
Excluding charges, net income was $3.13 billion, $1.13 per share, beating analysts’ expectations of $1.09.
Revenue rose 4 percent to $16.26 billion, up from $15.64 billion in 2010’s fourth quarter.
