S&P 500 futures are flat as investors weigh Apple earnings; U.S. midterm elections loom: Live updates

Apple Inc. delivered stronger-than-anticipated revenue in its most recent fiscal quarter, providing a positive opening for newly-appointed CEO John Ternus, who assumed office in September. The robust performance contrasted with a declining trend among major tech firms, as entities like Alphabet, Amazon, and Intel reported underwhelming results.

Apple's fiscal fourth quarter earnings amounted to $30.71 billion, equivalent to $2.10 per share, reflecting a 12% increase from $27.47 billion, or $1.85 per share, in the comparable period from the previous year. Revenue grew by 12% to $114.5 billion, up from $102.5 billion during the same period. Notably, Apple's earnings comprised 5 cents per share in tariff refunds.

Analysts had anticipated earnings of $1.99 per share on revenue of $113.4 billion, based on a poll conducted by FactSet. Emarketer analyst Jacob Bourne noted that Apple's strong earnings occurred amid a recent tech sell-off, as investors scrutinize the substantial costs and uncertain returns linked to the AI boom spurred by Big Tech competitors.

Bourne highlighted that Apple's "tepid approach" to AI infrastructure spending, paired with successful partnerships with companies such as Alphabet, bolsters the company's cash flow while mitigating the financial risks associated with similar investments made by its counterparts. Although Apple's gross margin for the quarter was 47.9%, it is projected to decline to between 45% and 46% in the upcoming quarter, primarily due to increased memory costs and expenses related to the introduction of Siri AI.

Apple's stock remained unchanged after the earnings announcement but dropped 2.6% to $329.60 during the earnings call, following a previous close of $338.32.