Apple moves to claim back profitability.(Brief Article)(Statistical Data Included)

APPLE, as expected, posted a loss in its first quarter of fiscal year 2001. Apple begins its fiscal year in October, and the first quarter for fiscal year 2001 runs from October to December 2000. It had a net loss of US$247 million (RM939 million), on sales of US$1 billion.

In comparison, Apple posted a profit of US$183 million for the same quarter last year, based on sales of US$2.3 billion. However, a new accounting procedure allows Apple to announce a net loss of US$195 million on paper.

International sales played a vital role in maintaining Apple's overall sales, contributing to about half of the quarter's revenues. Most of the sales came from European markets. There were clear signs of a difficult quarter. The number …