Apple Inc. (AAPL) Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Apple delivered a June-quarter record: revenue $94.036B (+10% YoY) and diluted EPS $1.57 (+12% YoY), with broad-based strength across iPhone, Mac, and Services; company gross margin was 46.5% .
- Significant beats vs S&P Global consensus: revenue +$4.9B (+5.5%) and EPS +$0.14 (+9.5%); gross margin modestly above consensus as well; upgrade activity set June-quarter records for iPhone and Mac, aided by strong product lineup and modest tariff-related pull-forward in April (~1 pt to total company growth) * * *.
- Guidance: September-quarter revenue to grow mid-to-high single digits YoY, Services growth similar to Q3’s +13%, GM 46–47%, OpEx $15.6–$15.8B, OI&E ~-$25M, tax ~17%; tariffs expected to add ~$1.1B to costs in Q4, up from ~$800M in Q3 .
- Stock reaction catalysts: sustained Services momentum (paid subscriptions “well over a billion”), AI narrative intensifying (personalized Siri targeted for next year), and clearer tariff headwind quantification; watch for China demand, App Store/legal developments, and AI-driven capex trajectory .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- iPhone revenue $44.6B (+13% YoY), June-quarter record for upgraders; strength across every geographic segment driven by the iPhone 16 lineup .
- Mac revenue $8.0B (+15% YoY), records for upgraders; strong adoption of M4 MacBook Air and Apple Silicon transition momentum .
- Services revenue $27.4B (+13% YoY), all-time record; broad-based strength with new highs in cloud services (iCloud paying accounts growth) and App Store double-digit growth in the US; “We have well over a billion paid subscriptions” .
What Went Wrong
- iPad $6.6B (-8% YoY) and Wearables/Home/Accessories $7.4B (-9% YoY) faced difficult compares tied to prior-year iPad launches and accessory dynamics .
- Tariffs: ~$800M cost pressure in Q3, with ~$1.1B expected in Q4; Q3 GM down 60 bps sequentially primarily due to tariffs and mix in Products .
- Q4 growth guide mid-to-high single digits reflects tariff pull-forward impact in April (~1 pt) and tougher iPad comp; FX only a minor tailwind sequentially .
Financial Results
Headline Metrics vs Prior Periods and Estimates
Values marked with * are from S&P Global consensus (actuals shown alongside where available). Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Category Net Sales (YoY)
Geographic Net Sales (YoY)
KPIs and Balance Sheet/Cash Flow
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “June quarter revenue record of $94 billion, up 10%… EPS set a June quarter record of $1.57, up 12% YoY… double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and services” — Tim Cook .
- “Company gross margin was 46.5%… down 60 bps sequentially, primarily driven by approximately $800 million in tariff-related costs” — CFO Kevin Perek .
- “We are embedding [AI] across our devices… significantly growing our investments… making good progress on a more personalized Siri, and… expect to release these features next year” — Tim Cook .
- “We ended the quarter with $133 billion in cash and marketable securities… total debt $102 billion… net cash $31 billion… returned over $27 billion to shareholders” — CFO Kevin Perek .
- “For the September quarter… gross margin… 46%–47%… operating expenses $15.6–$15.8B… OI&E around -$25M… tax rate around 17%” — CFO Kevin Perek .
Q&A Highlights
- Upgrades and demand pull-forward: June-quarter records for iPhone/Mac upgraders driven by product strength; April tariff-related pull-forward contributed ~1 pt to company growth; iPhone channel inventory reduced to low end of target range .
- Tariffs and mitigation: ~$800M Q3 impact; ~$1.1B expected in Q4 driven by higher volume; origin mix includes India (US iPhones) and Vietnam (US Macs/iPads/Watches); continued US investments and supply chain optimization .
- China: +4% YoY; subsidies and promotions helped; records for iPhone install base/upgraders; MacBook Air top-selling laptop and Mac Mini top-selling desktop in China .
- Capex and AI infra: Capex to grow substantially (not exponential), focused on AI/private cloud compute; hybrid infra leveraging third parties; OpEx guided up modestly .
- Services and legal: US App Store double-digit growth with all-time record; monitoring Epic-related changes; guidance assumes Google revenue share continues .
Estimates Context
- Revenue beat: $94.036B actual vs $89.162B consensus (+$4.9B, +5.5%)*.
- EPS beat: $1.57 vs $1.434 consensus (+$0.136, +9.5%)*.
- Gross margin modest beat: 46.5% actual vs 46.04% consensus (+46 bps)*.
- Estimates count: 28 for revenue; 29 for EPS*.
Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Implications: Consensus likely needs to reflect sustained Services strength, stronger iPhone/Mac upgrades, and heightened tariff headwinds impacting margin trajectory and Q4 guide.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Broad-based beat with strong iPhone/Mac/Services and record EPS should support near-term sentiment; watch Q4 guide anchored by tariff headwinds and tough iPad compare .
- Services momentum (cloud, App Store, paid subscriptions >1B) underpins margin resilience and valuation support; legal outcomes remain a swing factor .
- AI investment ramp (personalized Siri next year; infra build-out) is a medium-term catalyst; rising capex signals commitment to on-device and private cloud compute .
- China’s stabilization (+4% YoY) with strong upgraders and product mix is constructive; track sustainability of promotions/subsidies .
- Tariffs are a quantified headwind (Q3 ~$800M; Q4 ~$1.1B) impacting mix and margins; supply chain diversification and US manufacturing investments are strategic offsets .
- Capital return remains robust (net cash $31B; $27B returned in Q3); dividend maintained at $0.26 with ongoing buybacks .
- Near-term trading: focus on Services trajectory and AI narrative vs tariff/margin headwinds; medium-term thesis centers on Apple silicon/AI integration, subscription scale, and ecosystem stickiness .