Apple beats revenue forecasts in first quarterly report under CEO John Ternus

Apple reported revenue of about $114.5 billion for the July-September quarter, up 12% from a year earlier and above the $113.4 billion Wall Street expected. It was the first earnings report under chief executive John Ternus, who succeeded Tim Cook in September. Earnings rose to $2.10 a share from $1.85, beating the $1.99 analysts forecast; Apple said that figure included five cents a share from tariff refunds. iPhone revenue climbed 17% to $57.6 billion, helped by eight days of iPhone 18 Pro sales, while iPad sales fell short of expectations. Apple forecast December-quarter gross margin of 45% to 46%, down from 47.9%, as memory costs rise during a global chip shortage. Ternus said the company was pleased with customer response to its new lineup, and shares were roughly flat after the market closed.

The Guardian, the left-leaning source, leads with the beat against a tech sell-off in which Alphabet, Amazon and Intel disappointed. It quotes Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne on record iPhone revenue, China growth and Apple's restrained AI spending, and largely omits the margin forecast. The New York Post and Fox Business, both right-leaning, lead with the revenue beat and record September quarter. The Post highlights the $100 iPhone price increase, the iPad shortfall and Dan Ives calling iPhone numbers a safety stock; Fox adds the $478.8 billion fiscal-year total and analyst concerns about a tough iPhone 17 comparison. Investing.com and MarketWatch, alternative outlets, take a distinct angle. Investing.com tracks Asian suppliers, with LG Innotek, SK Hynix and Samsung falling while China's Goertek rose, and stresses the margin guidance. MarketWatch emphasizes that the stock is falling despite strong iPhone demand, citing memory costs and a slowing services business. All sides report the core figures, but left coverage centers on the sector contrast, right coverage on the sales surge, and alternative coverage on margins and the stock reaction.