Apple Earnings Preview: All Eyes on Next Quarter's Guidance Ahead of New iPhones, Apple Card, and Apple TV+

Apple is set to report its earnings results for the third quarter of its 2019 fiscal year at 1:30 p.m. Pacific Time today.

The quarter began March 31, 2019 and ran through June 29, 2019, according to Apple's fiscal year accounting calendar.

Apple's guidance for the quarter from April 30:

• revenue: $52.5 billion-$54.5 billion
  

• gross margin: 37-38 percent
  

• op. ex.: $8.7 billion-$8.8 billion
  

• other income/expense: $250 million
  

• tax rate: approximately 16.5 percent

Apple's guidance suggests it will report its second-best third quarter ever by revenue:

• 2014: $37.4 billion
  

• 2015: $49.6 billion
  

• 2016: $42.4 billion
  

• 2017: $45.4 billion
  

• 2018: $53.3 billion
  

• 2019: $52.5+ billion

Wall Street's revenue estimates average out to $53.39 billion, slightly below the midpoint of Apple's guidance, based on 33 analysts tracked by Yahoo Finance. Earnings per share is estimated to be $2.10.

Key Facts and What to Look For

• iPhone revenue of $26.5 billion, according to a Bloomberg average.
  

• Product launches in the third quarter: 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pro refresh on May 21 (excluding entry-level 13-inch model, which was updated in July) and seventh-generation iPod touch on May 28.
  

• Apple's guidance for its fourth fiscal quarter, which typically encompasses the launch of at least some new ‌iPhone‌ models in mid-to-late September. Wall Street expects fourth quarter revenue to be $61 billion, down around three percent year-over-year, according to Bloomberg.
  

• Apple's revenue in Greater China and any potential commentary regarding the U.S.-China trade war. Apple reported revenue of $9.5 billion in Greater China in the year-ago quarter, which was 19 percent growth.
  

• Apple's services revenue reached an all-time high of $11.45 billion in the second quarter, and investors will be looking for continued growth from the launch of Apple News+ six days before the third quarter began. The upcoming launches of the Apple Card later this summer and Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ in the fall could also be at least partially baked into Apple's fourth quarter guidance depending on exact launch dates.
  

• Apple's "Wearables, Home, and Accessories" category also remains key. Last quarter, Apple said the category was the size of a Fortune 200 company, buoyed by the success of the Apple Watch and AirPods.

Apple's CEO Tim Cook and CFO Luca Maestri will discuss the company's earnings results on a conference call at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time today. MacRumors will highlight key points from the one-hour call as it occurs live.