Tim Cook Warns Against Trying to Interpret Supply Chain Order Rumors

timcookTim Cook broadly addressed recent rumors that Apple may have cut iPhone 5 orders on weak demand. That particular rumor gained significant attention, resulting in a notable dip in Apple's stock price.

Cook was careful not to address any particular rumor, but warned against trying to interpret single data points, even if they happened to be accurate:

Months of rumors about order cuts and so forth, so let me take a moment to comment on these. No comment on any particular rumor.

I suggest its good to question the accuracy of any kind of rumor about build plans. Even if a particular data point were factual, it would be impossible to interpret that data point as to what it meant to our business. The supply chain is very complex and we have multiple sources for things. Yields can vary, supplier performance can vary. There is an inordinate long list of things that can make any single data point not a great proxy for what is going on.

Cook made the comments during today's Q1 Results conference call.

Top Rated Comments

applesith Avatar
146 months ago
Analysts buy on rumors of unreal expectations.

WSJ picks up article by analysts with misinformation. Stock drops.

There is no accountability in the media anymore. It's a sham. The media chooses who they want to win regardless of the facts and what is actually happening.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Dwalls90 Avatar
146 months ago
*cough* wall street journal *cough*
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mike Valmike Avatar
146 months ago
Analysts,

Please continue to beat up on AAPL and drive its price back down into the double digits or lower. I need to buy a whole truckload of the stuff before they announce their television set and the market blows it up to over $1000/share. Daddy needs a new Acura next year.

Thank you,
Every investor with a clue about Apple ever

/how anyone can look at that P/E ratio and call it an underperform makes me wonder if crack cocaine is just legal on Wall Street these days or something
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
neiltc13 Avatar
146 months ago
So basically he is asking the shareholders to maintain blind faith in the face of disappointing results.

There's no smoke without fire.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bubba Satori Avatar
146 months ago
Damage control isn't nearly as cool as insanely great.

Tim needs to get back to his old job interfacing with the UPS logisitics guy
and Apple needs to find somebody with some vision and passion.

Just sayin'.

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
koban4max Avatar
146 months ago
bottom line: why are we concern about apple's business? that's their business...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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