Apple suppliers drop on report of weaker iPhone X demand; analysts’ views mixed
beijing — Shares in several of Apple’s Asian suppliers fell for a second straight day on Tuesday, hurt by a report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily and some analysts saying that iPhone X demand could come in below expectations in the first quarter.
Apple will slash its sales forecast for the iPhone X in the quarter to 30 million units, the Taiwanese newspaper said on Monday, citing unidentified sources — down from what it said was an initial plan of 50 million units. Apple has not publicly disclosed quarterly sales targets for the iPhone X, which went on sale in November.
Some analysts have also flagged disappointing demand. US-based JL Warren Capital is predicting shipments of just 25 million units as consumers baulk at the “high price point and a lack of interesting innovations”. Chinese broker Sinolink Securities said it expects the model’s price would dampen consumer enthusiasm for the product, adding that slow production rates could also hinder sales. But others were more bullish.
“Our work continues to suggest the March and June quarters will have a significant amount of iPhone X make-up shipments,” Chicago-based Loop Capital said in a note last week, forecasting shipments of 40-45 million units in the first quarter of 2018, up from an estimated 30-35 million units in the current quarter.
Analysts at Jefferies have also forecast around 40 million iPhone X sales for the first quarter.
An Apple spokeswoman said the company does not comment on market rumors. During a trip to China this month Apple CEO Tim Cook said he “couldn’t be happier” with the demand for the iPhone X in the country. Apple suppliers that were most hit included Genius Electronic Optical Co Ltd which dropped 2.4 per cent on Tuesday to take its losses this week to 11.4 per cent. Pegatron Corp also fell on both days, losing 3.2 per cent this week. But falls for Foxconn were milder and it has lost only 1.8 per cent over the two days. —