Apple Earnings 2019-09-28
AAPL 10K Annual Report
| Balance Sheet | Income Statement | Cash Flow |
|---|---|---|
| Comparables ($MM TTM) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ticker | M Cap | Assets | Liab | Rev | G Profit | Net Inc | EBITDA | EV | G Margin | EV/EBITDA | ROA |
| AAPL | 937,132 | 322,239 | 225,783 | 259,034 | 98,163 | 55,695 | 82,090 | 983,303 | 38% | 12.0 | 17% |
| IBM | 123,468 | 154,652 | 136,876 | 77,860 | 36,543 | 8,734 | 18,009 | 143,503 | 47% | 8.0 | 6% |
| HPQ | 29,003 | 32,405 | 33,536 | 58,715 | 10,943 | 4,215 | 3,717 | 28,814 | 19% | 7.8 | 13% |
| HPE | 21,142 | 50,760 | 33,227 | 29,866 | 2,457 | -188 | 3,985 | 27,584 | 8% | 6.9 | -0% |
| NICE | 6,628 | 3,207 | 1,191 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6,601 | 0% | ||
| OMCL | 3,703 | 1,197 | 424 | 624 | 402 | 48 | 112 | 3,692 | 64% | 32.9 | 4% |
| HMI | 2,181 | 3,258 | 1,449 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 729 | 0% | ||
| CRAY | 1,447 | 460 | 183 | 396 | 115 | -108 | -91 | 1,282 | 29% | -14.1 | -23% |
| FIT | 1,127 | 1,278 | 653 | 1,550 | 568 | -135 | -90 | 792 | 37% | -8.8 | -11% |
| OSS | 22 | 38 | 13 | 49 | 15 | -1 | -0 | 20 | 31% | -47.7 | -4% |
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
For the fiscal year ended September 28, 2019
or
For the transition period from to .
Commission File Number: 001-36743
(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |||
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |||
(408 ) 996-1010
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Trading symbol(s) | Name of each exchange on which registered |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ☐ No ☒
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
☒ | Accelerated filer | ☐ | ||||
Non-accelerated filer | ☐ | Smaller reporting company | ||||
Emerging growth company | ||||||
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).
Yes ☐ No ☒
The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, as of March 29, 2019, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $874,698,000,000 . Solely for purposes of this disclosure, shares of common stock held by executive officers and directors of the Registrant as of such date have been excluded because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of executive officers and directors as affiliates is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purposes.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2020 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2020 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2020 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.
Apple Inc.
Form 10-K
For the Fiscal Year Ended September 28, 2019
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page | ||
This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties. Many of the forward-looking statements are located in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by words such as “future,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “can,” “may,” and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors,” which are incorporated herein by reference. Unless otherwise stated, all information presented herein is based on the Company’s fiscal calendar, and references to particular years, quarters, months or periods refer to the Company’s fiscal years ended in September and the associated quarters, months and periods of those fiscal years. Each of the terms the “Company” and “Apple” as used herein refers collectively to Apple Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, unless otherwise stated. The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.
PART I
Item 1. | Business |
Company Background
The Company designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. The Company is a California corporation established in 1977.
Products
iPhone
iPhone® is the Company’s line of smartphones based on its iOS operating system. In September 2019, the Company introduced three new iPhones: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Mac
Mac® is the Company’s line of personal computers based on its macOS® operating system. During 2019, the Company released a new version of MacBook Air® and a new Mac mini®, and introduced an updated Mac Pro®, which is expected to be available in the fall of 2019.
iPad
iPad® is the Company’s line of multi-purpose tablets. iPad is based on the Company’s iPadOS™ operating system, which was introduced during 2019. Also during 2019, the Company released two new versions of iPad Pro®, an iPad Air®, an updated iPad mini® and a new 10.2-inch iPad.
Wearables, Home and Accessories
Wearables, Home and Accessories includes AirPods®, Apple TV®, Apple Watch®, Beats® products, HomePod™, iPod touch® and other Apple-branded and third-party accessories. AirPods are the Company’s wireless headphones that interact with Siri. In October 2019, the Company introduced AirPods Pro™. Apple Watch is a personal electronic device that combines the watchOS® user interface and other technologies created specifically for a smaller device. In September 2019, the Company introduced Apple Watch Series 5.
Services
Digital Content Stores and Streaming Services
The Company operates various platforms that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games and podcasts. These platforms include the App Store®, available for iPhone and iPad, the Mac App Store, the TV App Store and the Watch App Store.
The Company also offers subscription-based digital content streaming services, including Apple Music®, which offers users a curated listening experience with on-demand radio stations, and Apple TV+, which offers exclusive original content, and is expected to be available in November 2019.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 1
AppleCare
AppleCare® includes AppleCare + (“AC+”) and the AppleCare Protection Plan, which are fee-based services that extend the coverage of phone support eligibility and hardware repairs. AC+ offers additional coverage for instances of accidental damage and is available in certain countries for certain products. Additionally, AC+ with theft and loss protection is available for iPhone in the U.S.
iCloud
iCloud® is the Company’s cloud service, which stores music, photos, contacts, calendars, mail, documents and more, keeping them up-to-date and available across multiple Apple devices and Windows personal computers.
Licensing
The Company licenses the use of certain of its intellectual property, and provides other related services.
Other Services
The Company delivers a variety of other services available in certain countries, including Apple Arcade™, a game subscription service; Apple Card™, a co-branded credit card; Apple News+, a subscription news and magazine service; and Apple Pay, a cashless payment service.
Markets and Distribution
The Company’s customers are primarily in the consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise and government markets. The Company sells its products and resells third-party products in most of its major markets directly to consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, and education, enterprise and government customers through its retail and online stores and its direct sales force. The Company also employs a variety of indirect distribution channels, such as third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers and resellers. During 2019, the Company’s net sales through its direct and indirect distribution channels accounted for 31% and 69%, respectively, of total net sales.
No single customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2019, 2018 and 2017.
Competition
The markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive and the Company is confronted by aggressive competition in all areas of its business. These markets are characterized by frequent product introductions and rapid technological advances that have substantially increased the capabilities and use of smartphones, personal computers, tablets and other electronic devices. Many of the Company’s competitors that sell mobile devices and personal computers based on other operating systems seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very low cost structures. Principal competitive factors important to the Company include price, product and service features (including security features), relative price and performance, product and service quality and reliability, design innovation, a strong third-party software and accessories ecosystem, marketing and distribution capability, service and support, and corporate reputation.
The Company is focused on expanding its market opportunities related to smartphones, personal computers, tablets and other electronic devices. These markets are highly competitive and include many large, well-funded and experienced participants. The Company expects competition in these markets to intensify significantly as competitors imitate features of the Company’s products and applications within their products, or collaborate to offer solutions that are more competitive than those they currently offer. These markets are characterized by aggressive price competition, frequent product introductions, evolving design approaches and technologies, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses.
The Company’s services also face substantial competition, including from companies that have significant resources and experience and have established service offerings with large customer bases. The Company competes with business models that provide content to users for free. The Company also competes with illegitimate means to obtain third-party digital content and applications.
The Company believes it offers superior innovation and integration of the entire solution, including hardware, software and services. Some of the Company’s current and potential competitors have substantial resources and may be able to provide such products and services at little or no profit, or even at a loss, to compete with the Company’s offerings.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 2
Supply of Components
Although most components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, certain components are currently obtained from single or limited sources. The Company also competes for various components with other participants in the markets for smartphones, personal computers, tablets and other electronic devices. Therefore, many components used by the Company, including those that are available from multiple sources, are at times subject to industry-wide shortage and significant commodity pricing fluctuations.
The Company uses some custom components that are not commonly used by its competitors, and new products introduced by the Company often utilize custom components available from only one source. When a component or product uses new technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’ yields have matured or their manufacturing capacities have increased. The continued availability of these components at acceptable prices, or at all, may be affected if suppliers decide to concentrate on the production of common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements.
The Company has entered into agreements for the supply of many components; however, there can be no guarantee that the Company will be able to extend or renew these agreements on similar terms, or at all.
Substantially all of the Company’s hardware products are manufactured by outsourcing partners that are located primarily in Asia, with some Mac computers manufactured in the U.S. and Ireland.
Research and Development
Because the industries in which the Company competes are characterized by rapid technological advances, the Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily upon its ability to ensure a continual and timely flow of competitive products, services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company continues to develop new technologies to enhance existing products and services, and to expand the range of its offerings through research and development (“R&D”), licensing of intellectual property and acquisition of third-party businesses and technology.
Intellectual Property
The Company currently holds a broad collection of intellectual property rights relating to certain aspects of its hardware devices, accessories, software and services. This includes patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade dress and other forms of intellectual property rights in the U.S. and various foreign countries. Although the Company believes the ownership of such intellectual property rights is an important factor in its business and that its success does depend in part on such ownership, the Company relies primarily on the innovative skills, technical competence and marketing abilities of its personnel.
The Company regularly files patent applications to protect innovations arising from its research, development and design, and is currently pursuing thousands of patent applications around the world. Over time, the Company has accumulated a large portfolio of issued patents, including utility patents, design patents and others. The Company also holds copyrights relating to certain aspects of its products and services. No single intellectual property right is solely responsible for protecting the Company’s products. The Company believes the duration of its intellectual property rights is adequate relative to the expected lives of its products.
In addition to Company-owned intellectual property, many of the Company’s products and services are designed to include intellectual property owned by third parties. It may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various aspects of the Company’s products, processes and services. While the Company has generally been able to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms in the past, there is no guarantee that such licenses could be obtained in the future on reasonable terms or at all.
Business Seasonality and Product Introductions
The Company has historically experienced higher net sales in its first quarter compared to other quarters in its fiscal year due in part to seasonal holiday demand. Additionally, new product and service introductions can significantly impact net sales, cost of sales and operating expenses. The timing of product introductions can also impact the Company’s net sales to its indirect distribution channels as these channels are filled with new inventory following a product launch, and channel inventory of an older product often declines as the launch of a newer product approaches. Net sales can also be affected when consumers and distributors anticipate a product introduction.
Employees
As of September 28, 2019, the Company had approximately 137,000 full-time equivalent employees.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 3
Available Information
The Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and files or furnishes reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such reports and other information filed by the Company with the SEC are available free of charge at investor.apple.com/investor-relations/sec-filings/default.aspx when such reports are available on the SEC’s website. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. The Company periodically provides other information for investors on its corporate website, www.apple.com, and its investor relations website, investor.apple.com. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, information on corporate governance and details related to the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. The information contained on the websites referenced in this Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this filing. Further, the Company’s references to website URLs are intended to be inactive textual references only.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 4
Item 1A. | Risk Factors |
The following discussion of risk factors contains forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be important to understanding other statements in this Form 10-K. The following information should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.
The business, financial condition and operating results of the Company can be affected by a number of factors, whether currently known or unknown, including but not limited to those described below, any one or more of which could, directly or indirectly, cause the Company’s actual financial condition and operating results to vary materially from past, or from anticipated future, financial condition and operating results. Any of these factors, in whole or in part, could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results and stock price.
Because of the following factors, as well as other factors affecting the Company’s financial condition and operating results, past financial performance should not be considered to be a reliable indicator of future performance, and investors should not use historical trends to anticipate results or trends in future periods.
Global and regional economic conditions could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.
The Company has international operations with sales outside the U.S. representing a majority of the Company’s total net sales. In addition, a majority of the Company’s supply chain, and its manufacturing and assembly activities, are located outside the U.S. As a result, the Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global and regional economic conditions.
Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs, changes to fiscal and monetary policy, tighter credit, higher interest rates, high unemployment and currency fluctuations could materially adversely affect demand for the Company’s products and services. In addition, consumer confidence and spending could be adversely affected in response to financial market volatility, negative financial news, conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets, declines in income or asset values, changes to fuel and other energy costs, labor and healthcare costs and other economic factors.
In addition to an adverse impact on demand for the Company’s products, uncertainty about, or a decline in, global or regional economic conditions could have a significant impact on the Company’s suppliers, contract manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, cellular network carriers and other channel partners. Potential effects include financial instability; inability to obtain credit to finance operations and purchases of the Company’s products; and insolvency.
A downturn in the economic environment could also lead to increased credit and collectibility risk on the Company’s trade receivables; the failure of derivative counterparties and other financial institutions; limitations on the Company’s ability to issue new debt; reduced liquidity; and declines in the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments. These and other economic factors could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.
Global markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change, and the Company may be unable to compete effectively in these markets.
The Company’s products and services are offered in highly competitive global markets characterized by aggressive price competition and resulting downward pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products and services, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in product price/performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses.
The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on its ability to ensure a continuing and timely introduction of innovative new products, services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company believes it is unique in that it designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its products, including the hardware, operating system, numerous software applications and related services. As a result, the Company must make significant investments in R&D. There can be no assurance that these investments will achieve expected returns, and the Company may not be able to develop and market new products and services successfully.
The Company currently holds a significant number of patents, trademarks and copyrights and has registered, and applied to register, numerous patents, trademarks and copyrights. In contrast, many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very low cost structures, and emulating the Company’s products and infringing on its intellectual property. If the Company is unable to continue to develop and sell innovative new products with attractive margins or if competitors infringe on the Company’s intellectual property, the Company’s ability to maintain a competitive advantage could be adversely affected.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 5
The Company has a minority market share in the global smartphone, personal computer and tablet markets. The Company faces substantial competition in these markets from companies that have significant technical, marketing, distribution and other resources, as well as established hardware, software and digital content supplier relationships. In addition, some of the Company’s competitors have broader product lines, lower-priced products and a larger installed base of active devices. Competition has been particularly intense as competitors have aggressively cut prices and lowered product margins. Certain competitors may have the resources, experience or cost structures to provide products at little or no profit or even at a loss.
Additionally, the Company faces significant competition as competitors imitate the Company’s product features and applications within their products or collaborate to offer solutions that are more competitive than those they currently offer. The Company also expects competition to intensify as competitors imitate the Company’s approach to providing components seamlessly within their offerings or work collaboratively to offer integrated solutions.
Some of the markets in which the Company competes have from time to time experienced little to no growth or contracted. In addition, an increasing number of Internet-enabled devices that include software applications and are smaller, simpler and cheaper than traditional personal computers compete with some of the Company’s existing products.
The Company’s services also face substantial competition, including from companies that have significant resources and experience and have established service offerings with large customer bases. The Company competes with business models that provide content to users for free. The Company also competes with illegitimate means to obtain third-party digital content and applications.
The Company’s financial condition and operating results depend substantially on the Company’s ability to continually improve its products and services to maintain their functional and design advantages. There can be no assurance the Company will be able to continue to provide products and services that compete effectively.
To remain competitive and stimulate customer demand, the Company must successfully manage frequent introductions and transitions of products and services.
Due to the highly volatile and competitive nature of the industries in which the Company competes, the Company must continually introduce new products, services and technologies, enhance existing products and services, effectively stimulate customer demand for new and upgraded products and services, and successfully manage the transition to these new and upgraded products and services. The success of new product and service introductions depends on a number of factors including, but not limited to, timely and successful development, market acceptance, the Company’s ability to manage the risks associated with new product production ramp-up issues, the availability of application software for new products, the effective management of purchase commitments and inventory levels in line with anticipated product demand, the availability of products in appropriate quantities and at expected costs to meet anticipated demand, and the risk that new products and services may have quality or other defects or deficiencies. Accordingly, the Company cannot determine in advance the ultimate effect of new product and service introductions and transitions.
The Company depends on the performance of carriers, wholesalers, retailers and other resellers.
The Company distributes its products through cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers and resellers, many of whom distribute products from competing manufacturers. The Company also sells its products and resells third-party products in most of its major markets directly to consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, and education, enterprise and government customers through its retail and online stores and its direct sales force.
Some carriers providing cellular network service for iPhone offer financing, installment payment plans or subsidies for users’ purchases of the device. There is no assurance that such offers will be continued at all or in the same amounts upon renewal of the Company’s agreements with these carriers or in agreements the Company enters into with new carriers.
The Company has invested and will continue to invest in programs to enhance reseller sales, including staffing selected resellers’ stores with Company employees and contractors, and improving product placement displays. These programs can require a substantial investment while not assuring return or incremental sales. The financial condition of these resellers could weaken, these resellers could stop distributing the Company’s products, or uncertainty regarding demand for some or all of the Company’s products could cause resellers to reduce their ordering and marketing of the Company’s products.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 6
The Company is exposed to the risk of write-downs on the value of its inventory and other assets, in addition to purchase commitment cancellation risk.
The Company records a write-down for product and component inventories that have become obsolete or exceed anticipated demand, or for which cost exceeds net realizable value. The Company also accrues necessary cancellation fee reserves for orders of excess products and components. The Company reviews long-lived assets, including capital assets held at its suppliers’ facilities and inventory prepayments, for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate the assets may not be recoverable. If the Company determines that an impairment has occurred, it records a write-down equal to the amount by which the carrying value of the asset exceeds its fair value. Although the Company believes its inventory, capital assets, inventory prepayments and other assets and purchase commitments are currently recoverable, no assurance can be given that the Company will not incur write-downs, fees, impairments and other charges given the rapid and unpredictable pace of product obsolescence in the industries in which the Company competes.
The Company orders components for its products and builds inventory in advance of product announcements and shipments. Manufacturing purchase obligations cover the Company’s forecasted component and manufacturing requirements, typically for periods up to 150 days. Because the Company’s markets are volatile, competitive and subject to rapid technology and price changes, there is a risk the Company will forecast incorrectly and order or produce excess or insufficient amounts of components or products, or not fully utilize firm purchase commitments.
Future operating results depend upon the Company’s ability to obtain components in sufficient quantities on commercially reasonable terms.
Because the Company currently obtains certain components from single or limited sources, the Company is subject to significant supply and pricing risks. Many components, including those that are available from multiple sources, are at times subject to industry-wide shortages and significant commodity pricing fluctuations that could materially adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results. While the Company has entered into agreements for the supply of many components, there can be no assurance that the Company will be able to extend or renew these agreements on similar terms, or at all. Component suppliers may suffer from poor financial conditions, which can lead to business failure for the supplier or consolidation within a particular industry, further limiting the Company’s ability to obtain sufficient quantities of components on commercially reasonable terms. The effects of global or regional economic conditions on the Company’s suppliers, described in “Global and regional economic conditions could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth,” above, also could affect the Company’s ability to obtain components. Therefore, the Company remains subject to significant risks of supply shortages and price increases that could materially adversely affect its financial condition and operating results.
The Company’s new products often utilize custom components available from only one source. When a component or product uses new technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’ yields have matured or their manufacturing capacities have increased. The continued availability of these components at acceptable prices, or at all, can be affected for any number of reasons, including if suppliers decide to concentrate on the production of common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements. If the Company’s supply of components for a new or existing product were delayed or constrained, or if an outsourcing partner delayed shipments of completed products to the Company, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected. The Company’s business and financial performance could also be materially adversely affected depending on the time required to obtain sufficient quantities from the source, or to identify and obtain sufficient quantities from an alternative source.
The Company depends on component and product manufacturing and logistical services provided by outsourcing partners, many of which are located outside of the U.S.
Substantially all of the Company’s manufacturing is performed in whole or in part by outsourcing partners located primarily in Asia. A significant concentration of this manufacturing is currently performed by a small number of outsourcing partners, often in single locations. The Company has also outsourced much of its transportation and logistics management. While these arrangements can lower operating costs, they also reduce the Company’s direct control over production and distribution. Such diminished control may have an adverse effect on the quality or quantity of products or services, or the Company’s flexibility to respond to changing conditions. Although arrangements with these partners may contain provisions for product defect expense reimbursement, the Company generally remains responsible to the consumer for warranty and out-of-warranty service in the event of product defects and could experience an unanticipated product defect liability. While the Company relies on its partners to adhere to its supplier code of conduct, material violations of the supplier code of conduct could occur.
The Company relies on single-source outsourcing partners in the U.S., Asia and Europe to supply and manufacture many components, and on outsourcing partners primarily located in Asia, for final assembly of substantially all of the Company’s hardware products. Any failure of these partners to perform can have a negative impact on the Company’s cost or supply of components or finished goods. In addition, manufacturing or logistics in these locations or transit to final destinations can be disrupted for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, natural and man-made disasters, information technology system failures, commercial disputes, military actions, economic, business, labor, environmental, public health or political issues, or international trade disputes.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 7
The Company has invested in manufacturing process equipment, much of which is held at certain of its outsourcing partners, and has made prepayments to certain of its suppliers associated with long-term supply agreements. While these arrangements help ensure the supply of components and finished goods, if these outsourcing partners or suppliers experience severe financial problems or other disruptions in their business, such continued supply can be reduced or terminated and the recoverability of manufacturing process equipment or prepayments can be negatively impacted.
The Company’s products and services may be affected from time to time by design and manufacturing defects that could materially adversely affect the Company’s business and result in harm to the Company’s reputation.
The Company offers complex hardware and software products and services that can be affected by design and manufacturing defects. Sophisticated operating system software and applications, such as those offered by the Company, often have issues that can unexpectedly interfere with the intended operation of hardware or software products. Defects can also exist in components and products the Company purchases from third parties. Component defects could make the Company’s products unsafe and create a risk of environmental or property damage and personal injury. These risks may increase as the Company’s products are introduced into specialized applications, including healthcare. In addition, the Company’s service offerings may have quality issues and from time to time experience outages, service slowdowns or errors. As a result, the Company’s services may not perform as anticipated and may not meet customer expectations. There can be no assurance the Company will be able to detect and fix all issues and defects in the hardware, software and services it offers. Failure to do so could result in widespread technical and performance issues affecting the Company’s products and services. In addition, the Company can be exposed to product liability claims, recalls, product replacements or modifications, write-offs of inventory, property, plant and equipment, and/or intangible assets, and significant warranty and other expenses, including litigation costs and regulatory fines. Quality problems can also adversely affect the experience for users of the Company’s products and services, and result in harm to the Company’s reputation, loss of competitive advantage, poor market acceptance, reduced demand for products and services, delay in new product and service introductions and lost sales.
The Company relies on access to third-party digital content, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
The Company contracts with numerous third parties to offer their digital content to customers. This includes the right to sell currently available content. The licensing or other distribution arrangements with these third parties are for relatively short terms and do not guarantee the continuation or renewal of these arrangements on commercially reasonable terms, if at all. Some third-party content providers and distributors currently or in the future may offer competing products and services, and can take actions to make it more difficult or impossible for the Company to license or otherwise distribute their content in the future. Other content owners, providers or distributors may seek to limit the Company’s access to, or increase the cost of, such content. The Company may be unable to continue to offer a wide variety of content at commercially reasonable prices with acceptable usage rules, or continue to expand its geographic reach. Failure to obtain the right to make third-party digital content available, or to make such content available on commercially reasonable terms, could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Some third-party digital content providers require the Company to provide digital rights management and other security solutions. If requirements change, the Company may have to develop or license new technology to provide these solutions. There is no assurance the Company will be able to develop or license such solutions at a reasonable cost and in a timely manner. In addition, certain countries have passed or may propose and adopt legislation that would force the Company to license its digital rights management, which could lessen the protection of content and subject it to piracy and also could negatively affect arrangements with the Company’s content providers.
The Company’s future performance depends in part on support from third-party software developers.
The Company believes decisions by customers to purchase its hardware products depend in part on the availability of third-party software applications and services. There is no assurance that third-party developers will continue to develop and maintain software applications and services for the Company’s products. If third-party software applications and services cease to be developed and maintained for the Company’s products, customers may choose not to buy the Company’s products.
The Company believes the availability of third-party software applications and services for its products depends in part on the developers’ perception and analysis of the relative benefits of developing, maintaining and upgrading such software and services for the Company’s products compared to competitors’ platforms, such as Android for smartphones and tablets and Windows for personal computers. This analysis may be based on factors such as the market position of the Company and its products, the anticipated revenue that may be generated, expected future growth of product sales, and the costs of developing such applications and services.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 8
The Company’s minority market share in the global smartphone, personal computer and tablet markets could make developers less inclined to develop or upgrade software for the Company’s products and more inclined to devote their resources to developing and upgrading software for competitors’ products with larger market share. If developers focus their efforts on these competing platforms, the availability and quality of applications for the Company’s devices may suffer.
The Company relies on the continued availability and development of compelling and innovative software applications for its products. The Company’s products and operating systems are subject to rapid technological change, and if third-party developers are unable to or choose not to keep up with this pace of change, third-party applications might not take advantage of these changes to deliver improved customer experiences or might not operate correctly and may result in dissatisfied customers.
The Company sells and delivers third-party applications for its products through the App Store, Mac App Store, TV App Store and Watch App Store. The Company retains a commission from sales through these platforms. If developers reduce their use of these platforms to distribute their applications and offer in-app purchases to customers, then the volume of sales, and the commission that the Company earns on those sales, would decrease.
The Company relies on access to third-party intellectual property, which may not be available to the Company on commercially reasonable terms or at all.
Many of the Company’s products and services are designed to include intellectual property owned by third parties, which requires licenses from those third parties. In addition, because of technological changes in the industries in which the Company currently competes or in the future may compete, current extensive patent coverage and the rapid rate of issuance of new patents, the Company’s products and services may unknowingly infringe existing patents or intellectual property rights of others. From time to time, the Company has been notified that it may be infringing certain patents or other intellectual property rights of third parties. Based on experience and industry practice, the Company believes licenses to such third-party intellectual property can generally be obtained on commercially reasonable terms. There is, however, no assurance that the necessary licenses can be obtained on commercially reasonable terms or at all. Failure to obtain the right to use third-party intellectual property, or to use such intellectual property on commercially reasonable terms, could preclude the Company from selling certain products or services, or otherwise have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
The Company could be impacted by unfavorable results of legal proceedings, such as being found to have infringed on intellectual property rights.
The Company is subject to various legal proceedings and claims that have arisen in the ordinary course of business and have not yet been fully resolved, and new claims may arise in the future. In addition, agreements entered into by the Company sometimes include indemnification provisions which can subject the Company to costs and damages in the event of a claim against an indemnified third party.
Claims against the Company based on allegations of patent infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights have generally increased over time and may continue to increase. In particular, the Company has historically faced a significant number of patent claims relating to its cellular-enabled products, and new claims may arise in the future. For example, technology and other patent-holding companies frequently assert their patents and seek royalties and often enter into litigation based on allegations of patent infringement or other violations of intellectual property rights. The Company is vigorously defending infringement actions in courts in several U.S. jurisdictions, as well as internationally in various countries. The plaintiffs in these actions frequently seek injunctions and substantial damages.
Regardless of the merit of particular claims, litigation can be expensive, time-consuming, disruptive to the Company’s operations and distracting to management. In recognition of these considerations, the Company may enter into licensing agreements or other arrangements to settle litigation and resolve such disputes. No assurance can be given that such agreements can be obtained on acceptable terms or that litigation will not occur. These agreements may also significantly increase the Company’s cost of sales and operating expenses.
Except as described in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies” under the heading “Contingencies,” in the opinion of management, there was not at least a reasonable possibility the Company may have incurred a material loss, or a material loss greater than a recorded accrual, concerning loss contingencies for asserted legal and other claims, including matters related to infringement of intellectual property rights.
The outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company or an indemnified third party in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Further, such an outcome could result in significant compensatory, punitive or trebled monetary damages, disgorgement of revenue or profits, remedial corporate measures or injunctive relief against the Company that could materially adversely affect its financial condition and operating results.
While the Company maintains insurance coverage for certain types of claims, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses or all types of claims that may arise.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 9
The Company is subject to complex and changing laws and regulations worldwide, which exposes the Company to potential liabilities, increased costs and other adverse effects on the Company’s business.
The Company’s global operations are subject to complex and changing laws and regulations on subjects including, but not limited to: antitrust; privacy, data security and data localization; consumer protection; advertising, sales, billing and e-commerce; product liability; intellectual property ownership and infringement; digital platforms; Internet, telecommunications, and mobile communications; media, television, film and digital content; availability of third-party software applications and services; labor and employment; anti-corruption; import, export and trade; foreign exchange controls and cash repatriation restrictions; anti–money laundering; foreign ownership and investment; tax; and environmental, health and safety.
Compliance with these laws and regulations may be onerous and expensive, increasing the cost of conducting the Company’s global operations. Changes to laws and regulations can adversely affect the Company’s business by increasing the Company’s costs, limiting the Company’s ability to offer a product or service to customers, requiring changes to the Company’s business practices or otherwise making the Company’s products and services less attractive to customers. The Company has implemented policies and procedures designed to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations, but there can be no assurance that the Company’s employees, contractors or agents will not violate such laws and regulations or the Company’s policies and procedures. If the Company is found to have violated laws and regulations, it could materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
The technology industry, including, in some instances, the Company, is subject to intense media, political and regulatory scrutiny, which exposes the Company to government investigations, legal actions and penalties. For example, the Company is subject to antitrust investigations in various jurisdictions around the world, which can result in legal proceedings and claims against the Company that could, individually or in the aggregate, have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results. There can be no assurance that the Company’s business will not be materially adversely affected, individually or in the aggregate, by the outcomes of such investigations or changes to laws and regulations in the future.
The Company’s retail stores have required and will continue to require a substantial investment and commitment of resources and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties.
The Company’s retail stores have required substantial investment in equipment and leasehold improvements, information systems, inventory and personnel. The Company also has entered into substantial lease commitments for retail space. Certain stores have been designed and built to serve as high-profile venues to promote brand awareness. Because of their unique design elements, locations and size, these stores require substantially more investment than the Company’s more typical retail stores. Due to the high cost structure associated with the Company’s retail stores, a decline in sales or the closure or poor performance of an individual store or multiple stores could result in significant lease termination costs, write-offs of equipment and leasehold improvements and severance costs.
The Company’s retail operations are subject to many factors that pose risks and uncertainties and could adversely impact the Company’s financial condition and operating results, including macro-economic factors that could have an adverse effect on general retail activity. Other factors include, but are not limited to, the Company’s ability to: manage costs associated with retail store construction and operation; manage relationships with existing retail partners; manage costs associated with fluctuations in the value of retail inventory; and obtain and renew leases in quality retail locations at a reasonable cost.
Investment in new business strategies and acquisitions could disrupt the Company’s ongoing business and present risks not originally contemplated.
The Company has invested, and in the future may invest, in new business strategies or acquisitions. Such endeavors may involve significant risks and uncertainties, including distraction of management from current operations, greater-than-expected liabilities and expenses, inadequate return on capital, and unidentified issues not discovered in the Company’s due diligence. These new ventures are inherently risky and may not be successful.
The Company’s business and reputation may be impacted by information technology system failures or network disruptions.
The Company is exposed to information technology system failures or network disruptions caused by natural disasters, accidents, power disruptions, telecommunications failures, acts of terrorism or war, computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, or other events or disruptions. System redundancy and other continuity measures may be ineffective or inadequate, and the Company’s business continuity and disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Such failures or disruptions can adversely impact the Company’s business by, among other things, preventing access to the Company’s online services, interfering with customer transactions or impeding the manufacturing and shipping of the Company’s products. These events could materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 10
There may be losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information, including personally identifiable information, that could subject the Company to significant reputational, financial, legal and operational consequences.
The Company’s business requires it to use and store confidential information including, among other things, personally identifiable information (“PII”) with respect to the Company’s customers and employees. The Company devotes significant resources to network and data security, including through the use of encryption and other security measures intended to protect its systems and data. But these measures cannot provide absolute security, and losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information occur and could materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
The Company’s business also requires it to share confidential information with suppliers and other third parties. Although the Company takes steps to secure confidential information that is provided to third parties, such measures are not always effective and losses or unauthorized access to or releases of confidential information occur and could materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
For example, the Company may experience a security breach impacting the Company’s information technology systems that compromises the confidentiality, integrity or availability of confidential information. Such an incident could, among other things, impair the Company’s ability to attract and retain customers for its products and services, impact the Company’s stock price, materially damage supplier relationships, and expose the Company to litigation or government investigations, which could result in penalties, fines or judgments against the Company.
Although malicious attacks perpetrated to gain access to confidential information, including PII, affect many companies across various industries, the Company is at a relatively greater risk of being targeted because of its high profile and the value of the confidential information it creates, owns, manages, stores and processes.
The Company has implemented systems and processes intended to secure its information technology systems and prevent unauthorized access to or loss of sensitive data, including through the use of encryption and authentication technologies. As with all companies, these security measures may not be sufficient for all eventualities and may be vulnerable to hacking, employee error, malfeasance, system error, faulty password management or other irregularities. For example, third parties fraudulently induce employees or customers into disclosing user names, passwords or other sensitive information, which may, in turn, be used to access the Company’s information technology systems. To help protect customers and the Company, the Company monitors its services and systems for unusual activity and may freeze accounts under suspicious circumstances, which, among other things, may result in the delay or loss of customer orders or impede customer access to the Company’s products and services.
In addition to the risks relating to general confidential information described above, the Company is also subject to specific obligations relating to health data and payment card data. Health data is subject to additional privacy, security and breach notification requirements, and the Company can be subject to audit by governmental authorities regarding the Company’s compliance with these obligations. If the Company fails to adequately comply with these rules and requirements, or if health data is handled in a manner not permitted by law or under the Company’s agreements with healthcare institutions, the Company could be subject to litigation or government investigations, may be liable for associated investigatory expenses, and could also incur significant fees or fines.
Under payment card rules and obligations, if cardholder information is potentially compromised, the Company could be liable for associated investigatory expenses and could also incur significant fees or fines if the Company fails to follow payment card industry data security standards. The Company could also experience a significant increase in payment card transaction costs or lose the ability to process payment cards if it fails to follow payment card industry data security standards, which would materially adversely affect the Company’s reputation, financial condition and operating results.
While the Company maintains insurance coverage that is intended to address certain aspects of data security risks, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses or all types of claims that may arise.
The Company’s business is subject to a variety of U.S. and international laws, rules, policies and other obligations regarding data protection.
The Company is subject to federal, state and international laws relating to the collection, use, retention, security and transfer of PII. In many cases, these laws apply not only to third-party transactions, but also may restrict transfers of PII among the Company and its international subsidiaries. Several jurisdictions have passed laws in this area, and other jurisdictions are considering imposing additional restrictions. These laws continue to develop and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Complying with emerging and changing international requirements may cause the Company to incur substantial costs or require the Company to change its business practices. Noncompliance could result in significant penalties or legal liability.
The Company makes statements about its use and disclosure of PII through its privacy policy, information provided on its website and press statements. Any failure by the Company to comply with these public statements or with other federal, state or international privacy-related or data protection laws and regulations could result in proceedings against the Company by governmental entities or others. In addition to reputational impacts, penalties could include ongoing audit requirements and significant legal liability.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 11
The Company’s success depends largely on the continued service and availability of key personnel.
Much of the Company’s future success depends on the continued availability and service of key personnel, including its Chief Executive Officer, executive team and other highly skilled employees. Experienced personnel in the technology industry are in high demand and competition for their talents is intense, especially in Silicon Valley, where most of the Company’s key personnel are located.
The Company’s business can be impacted by political events, international trade disputes, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, industrial accidents and other business interruptions.
Political events, international trade disputes, war, terrorism, natural disasters, public health issues, industrial accidents and other business interruptions could harm or disrupt international commerce and the global economy, and could have a material adverse effect on the Company and its customers, suppliers, contract manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, cellular network carriers and other channel partners.
International trade disputes can result in tariffs and other measures that can adversely affect the Company’s business. For example, trade tensions have led to a series of tariffs imposed by the U.S. on imports from China. Tariffs increase the cost of the Company’s products and the components and raw materials that go into making them. These increased costs adversely impact the gross margin that the Company earns on its products. Tariffs can also make the Company’s products more expensive for customers, which could make the Company’s products less competitive and reduce consumer demand. Countries may also adopt other measures that could limit the Company’s ability to offer its products and services. Political uncertainty surrounding international trade disputes and measures could also have a negative effect on consumer confidence and spending, which could adversely affect the Company’s business.
Many of the Company’s operations and facilities, as well as critical business operations of the Company’s suppliers and contract manufacturers, are in locations that are prone to earthquakes and other natural disasters. In addition, such operations and facilities are subject to the risk of interruption by fire, power shortages, nuclear power plant accidents and other industrial accidents, terrorist attacks and other hostile acts, labor disputes, public health issues and other events beyond the Company’s control. Global climate change could result in certain types of natural disasters occurring more frequently or with more intense effects. Such events could make it difficult or impossible for the Company to manufacture and deliver products to its customers, create delays and inefficiencies in the Company’s supply and manufacturing chain, and result in slowdowns and outages to the Company’s service offerings. Following an interruption to its business, the Company could require substantial recovery time, experience significant expenditures to resume operations, and lose significant sales. Because the Company relies on single or limited sources for the supply and manufacture of many critical components, a business interruption affecting such sources would exacerbate any negative consequences to the Company.
The Company’s operations are also subject to the risks of industrial accidents at its suppliers and contract manufacturers. While the Company’s suppliers are required to maintain safe working environments and operations, an industrial accident could occur and could result in disruption to the Company’s business and harm to the Company’s reputation. Should major public health issues, including pandemics, arise, the Company could be adversely affected by more stringent employee travel restrictions, additional limitations in freight services, governmental actions limiting the movement of products between regions, delays in production ramps of new products, and disruptions in the operations of the Company’s suppliers and contract manufacturers.
While the Company maintains insurance coverage for certain types of losses, such insurance coverage may be insufficient to cover all losses that may arise.
The Company expects its quarterly net sales and operating results to fluctuate.
The Company’s profit margins vary across its products, services, geographic segments and distribution channels. For example, gross margins on the Company’s hardware products vary across product lines and can change over time. The Company’s gross margins are subject to volatility and downward pressure due to a variety of factors, including: continued industry-wide global product pricing pressures and product pricing actions that the Company may take in response to such pressures; increased competition; the Company’s ability to effectively stimulate demand for certain of its products and services; compressed product life cycles; potential increases in the cost of components, outside manufacturing services, and acquiring and delivering content for the Company’s services; the Company’s ability to manage product quality and warranty costs effectively; shifts in the mix of products and services, or in the geographic, currency or channel mix; fluctuations in foreign exchange rates; and the introduction of new products or services, including new products or services with higher cost structures. These and other factors could have a materially adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 12
The Company has historically experienced higher net sales in its first quarter compared to other quarters in its fiscal year due in part to seasonal holiday demand. Additionally, new product and service introductions can significantly impact net sales, cost of sales and operating expenses. Further, the Company generates a significant portion of its net sales from a single product and a decline in demand for that product could significantly impact quarterly net sales. The Company could also be subject to unexpected developments, such as lower-than-anticipated demand for the Company’s products or services, issues with new product or service introductions, information technology system failures or network disruptions, or failure of one of the Company’s logistics, components supply, or manufacturing partners.
The Company’s stock price is subject to volatility.
The Company’s stock price has experienced substantial price volatility in the past and may continue to do so in the future. Additionally, the Company, the technology industry and the stock market as a whole have experienced extreme stock price and volume fluctuations that have affected stock prices in ways that may have been unrelated to these companies’ operating performance. Price volatility over a given period may cause the average price at which the Company repurchases its stock to exceed the stock’s price at a given point in time. The Company believes its stock price should reflect expectations of future growth and profitability. The Company also believes its stock price should reflect expectations that its cash dividend will continue at current levels or grow, and that its current share repurchase program will be fully consummated. Future dividends are subject to declaration by the Company’s Board of Directors, and the Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. If the Company fails to meet expectations related to future growth, profitability, dividends, share repurchases or other market expectations, its stock price may decline significantly, which could have a material adverse impact on investor confidence and employee retention.
The Company’s financial performance is subject to risks associated with changes in the value of the U.S. dollar relative to local currencies.
The Company’s primary exposure to movements in foreign currency exchange rates relates to non–U.S. dollar–denominated sales, cost of sales and operating expenses worldwide. Gross margins on the Company’s products in foreign countries and on products that include components obtained from foreign suppliers could be materially adversely affected by foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations.
The weakening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar adversely affects the U.S. dollar value of the Company’s foreign currency–denominated sales and earnings, and generally leads the Company to raise international pricing, potentially reducing demand for the Company’s products. In some circumstances, for competitive or other reasons, the Company may decide not to raise international pricing to offset the U.S. dollar’s strengthening, which would adversely affect the U.S. dollar value of the gross margins the Company earns on foreign currency–denominated sales.
Conversely, a strengthening of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, while generally beneficial to the Company’s foreign currency–denominated sales and earnings, could cause the Company to reduce international pricing and incur losses on its foreign currency derivative instruments, thereby limiting the benefit. Additionally, strengthening of foreign currencies may increase the Company’s cost of product components denominated in those currencies, thus adversely affecting gross margins.
The Company uses derivative instruments, such as foreign currency forward and option contracts, to hedge certain exposures to fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates. The use of such hedging activities may not be effective to offset any, or more than a portion, of the adverse financial effects of unfavorable movements in foreign exchange rates over the limited time the hedges are in place.
The Company is exposed to credit risk and fluctuations in the values of its investment portfolio.
The Company’s investments can be negatively affected by liquidity, credit deterioration, financial results, market and economic conditions, political risk, sovereign risk, interest rate fluctuations or other factors. As a result, the value and liquidity of the Company’s cash, cash equivalents, and marketable and non-marketable securities may fluctuate substantially. Therefore, although the Company has not realized any significant losses on its cash, cash equivalents, and marketable and non-marketable securities, future fluctuations in their value could result in significant losses and could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 13
The Company is exposed to credit risk on its trade accounts receivable, vendor non-trade receivables and prepayments related to long-term supply agreements, and this risk is heightened during periods when economic conditions worsen.
The Company distributes its products through third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers and resellers. The Company also sells its products directly to small and mid-sized businesses and education, enterprise and government customers. A substantial majority of the Company’s outstanding trade receivables are not covered by collateral, third-party bank support or financing arrangements, or credit insurance. The Company’s exposure to credit and collectibility risk on its trade receivables is higher in certain international markets and its ability to mitigate such risks may be limited. The Company also has unsecured vendor non-trade receivables resulting from purchases of components by outsourcing partners and other vendors that manufacture sub-assemblies or assemble final products for the Company. In addition, the Company has made prepayments associated with long-term supply agreements to secure supply of inventory components. As of September 28, 2019, a significant portion of the Company’s trade receivables was concentrated within cellular network carriers, and its vendor non-trade receivables and prepayments related to long-term supply agreements were concentrated among a few individual vendors located primarily in Asia. While the Company has procedures to monitor and limit exposure to credit risk on its trade and vendor non-trade receivables, as well as long-term prepayments, there can be no assurance such procedures will effectively limit its credit risk and avoid losses.
The Company could be subject to changes in its tax rates, the adoption of new U.S. or international tax legislation or exposure to additional tax liabilities.
The Company is subject to taxes in the U.S. and numerous foreign jurisdictions, including Ireland, where a number of the Company’s subsidiaries are organized. Due to economic and political conditions, tax rates in various jurisdictions may be subject to significant change. The Company’s effective tax rates could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation, including in the U.S. and Ireland.
The Company is also subject to the examination of its tax returns and other tax matters by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities and governmental bodies. The Company regularly assesses the likelihood of an adverse outcome resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of its provision for taxes. There can be no assurance as to the outcome of these examinations. If the Company’s effective tax rates were to increase, particularly in the U.S. or Ireland, or if the ultimate determination of the Company’s taxes owed is for an amount in excess of amounts previously accrued, the Company’s financial condition and operating results could be materially adversely affected.
Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments |
None.
Item 2. | Properties |
The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. As of September 28, 2019, the Company owned or leased facilities and land for corporate functions, R&D, data centers, retail and other purposes at locations throughout the U.S. and in various places outside the U.S. The Company believes its existing facilities and equipment, which are used by all reportable segments, are in good operating condition and are suitable for the conduct of its business.
Item 3. | Legal Proceedings |
The Company is subject to legal proceedings and claims that have not been fully resolved and that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. Except as described in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies” under the heading “Contingencies,” in the opinion of management, there was not at least a reasonable possibility the Company may have incurred a material loss, or a material loss greater than a recorded accrual, concerning loss contingencies for asserted legal and other claims.
The outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected. Refer to the risk factor “The Company could be impacted by unfavorable results of legal proceedings, such as being found to have infringed on intellectual property rights” in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors.” The Company settled certain matters during the fourth quarter of 2019 that did not individually or in the aggregate have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or operating results.
Item 4. | Mine Safety Disclosures |
Not applicable.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 14
PART II
Item 5. | Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities |
The Company’s common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol AAPL.
Holders
As of October 18, 2019, there were 23,233 shareholders of record.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
Share repurchase activity during the three months ended September 28, 2019 was as follows (in millions, except number of shares, which are reflected in thousands, and per share amounts):
Periods | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid Per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (1) | ||||||||||
June 30, 2019 to August 3, 2019: | ||||||||||||||
Open market and privately negotiated purchases | 23,860 | $ | 205.36 | 23,860 | ||||||||||
August 4, 2019 to August 31, 2019: | ||||||||||||||
February 2019 ASR | 6,886 | (2) | 6,886 | |||||||||||
Open market and privately negotiated purchases | 34,705 | $ | 204.59 | 34,705 | ||||||||||
September 1, 2019 to September 28, 2019: | ||||||||||||||
Open market and privately negotiated purchases | 27,178 | $ | 217.17 | 27,178 | ||||||||||
Total | 92,629 | $ | 78,869 | |||||||||||
(1) | On April 30, 2019, the Company announced the Board of Directors increased the current share repurchase program authorization from $100 billion to $175 billion of the Company’s common stock, of which $96.1 billion had been utilized as of September 28, 2019. The remaining $78.9 billion in the table represents the amount available to repurchase shares under the authorized repurchase program as of September 28, 2019. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. Under this program, shares may be repurchased in privately negotiated and/or open market transactions, including under plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act. |
(2) | In February 2019, the Company entered into an accelerated share repurchase arrangement (“ASR”) to purchase up to $12.0 billion of the Company’s common stock. In August 2019, the purchase period for this ASR ended and an additional 6.9 million shares were delivered and retired. In total, 62.0 million shares were delivered under this ASR at an average repurchase price of $193.69. |
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 15
Company Stock Performance
The following graph shows a comparison of cumulative total shareholder return, calculated on a dividend-reinvested basis, for the Company, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P Information Technology Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Supersector Index for the five years ended September 28, 2019. The graph assumes $100 was invested in each of the Company’s common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P Information Technology Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Supersector Index as of the market close on September 26, 2014. Note that historic stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.
* | $100 invested on September 26, 2014 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. Data points are the last day of each fiscal year for the Company’s common stock and September 30th for indexes. |
Copyright© 2019 Standard & Poor’s, a division of S&P Global. All rights reserved.
Copyright© 2019 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global. All rights reserved.
September 2014 | September 2015 | September 2016 | September 2017 | September 2018 | September 2019 | |||||||||||||||||||
Apple Inc. | $ | 100 | $ | 116 | $ | 116 | $ | 162 | $ | 240 | $ | 237 | ||||||||||||
S&P 500 Index | $ | 100 | $ | 99 | $ | 115 | $ | 136 | $ | 160 | $ | 167 | ||||||||||||
S&P Information Technology Index | $ | 100 | $ | 102 | $ | 125 | $ | 162 | $ | 213 | $ | 231 | ||||||||||||
Dow Jones U.S. Technology Supersector Index | $ | 100 | $ | 100 | $ | 122 | $ | 156 | $ | 205 | $ | 218 | ||||||||||||
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 16
Item 6. | Selected Financial Data |
The information set forth below for the five years ended September 28, 2019, is not necessarily indicative of results of future operations, and should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K to fully understand factors that may affect the comparability of the information presented below (in millions, except number of shares, which are reflected in thousands, and per share amounts).
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |||||||||||||||
Total net sales | $ | 260,174 | $ | 265,595 | $ | 229,234 | $ | 215,639 | $ | 233,715 | |||||||||
Net income | $ | 55,256 | $ | 59,531 | $ | 48,351 | $ | 45,687 | $ | 53,394 | |||||||||
Earnings per share: | |||||||||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 11.97 | $ | 12.01 | $ | 9.27 | $ | 8.35 | $ | 9.28 | |||||||||
Diluted | $ | 11.89 | $ | 11.91 | $ | 9.21 | $ | 8.31 | $ | 9.22 | |||||||||
Cash dividends declared per share | $ | 3.00 | $ | 2.72 | $ | 2.40 | $ | 2.18 | $ | 1.98 | |||||||||
Shares used in computing earnings per share: | |||||||||||||||||||
Basic | 4,617,834 | 4,955,377 | 5,217,242 | 5,470,820 | 5,753,421 | ||||||||||||||
Diluted | 4,648,913 | 5,000,109 | 5,251,692 | 5,500,281 | 5,793,069 | ||||||||||||||
Total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities | $ | 205,898 | $ | 237,100 | $ | 268,895 | $ | 237,585 | $ | 205,666 | |||||||||
Total assets | $ | 338,516 | $ | 365,725 | $ | 375,319 | $ | 321,686 | $ | 290,345 | |||||||||
Non-current portion of term debt | $ | 91,807 | $ | 93,735 | $ | 97,207 | $ | 75,427 | $ | 53,329 | |||||||||
Other non-current liabilities | $ | 50,503 | $ | 48,914 | $ | 44,212 | $ | 39,986 | $ | 38,104 | |||||||||
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 17
Item 7. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
This section and other parts of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by words such as “future,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “can,” “may,” and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors,” which are incorporated herein by reference. The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. Unless otherwise stated, all information presented herein is based on the Company’s fiscal calendar, and references to particular years, quarters, months or periods refer to the Company’s fiscal years ended in September and the associated quarters, months and periods of those fiscal years. Each of the terms the “Company” and “Apple” as used herein refers collectively to Apple Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, unless otherwise stated. The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.
This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2019 and 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2019 and 2018. Discussions of 2017 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2018 and 2017 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2018.
Fiscal Period
The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. The Company’s fiscal years 2019 and 2018 spanned 52 weeks each, whereas fiscal year 2017 included 53 weeks. A 14th week was included in the first quarter of 2017, as is done every five or six years, to realign the Company’s fiscal quarters with calendar quarters.
Fiscal 2019 Highlights
Total net sales decreased 2% or $5.4 billion during 2019 compared to 2018, driven by lower net sales of iPhone, partially offset by higher net sales of Wearables, Home and Accessories and Services in all geographic operating segments. The weakness in foreign currencies had a significant unfavorable impact on net sales during 2019.
In April 2019, the Company announced an increase to its current share repurchase program authorization from $100 billion to $175 billion and raised its quarterly dividend from $0.73 to $0.77 per share beginning in May 2019. During 2019, the Company repurchased $67.1 billion of its common stock and paid dividends and dividend equivalents of $14.1 billion.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 18
Products and Services Performance
Beginning in the first quarter of 2019, the Company classified the amortization of the deferred value of Maps, Siri and free iCloud services, which are bundled in the sales price of iPhone, Mac, iPad and certain other products, in Services net sales. Historically, the Company classified the amortization of these amounts in Products net sales consistent with its management reporting framework. As a result, Products and Services net sales for 2018 and 2017 were reclassified to conform to the 2019 presentation.
The following table shows net sales by category for 2019, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in millions):
2019 | Change | 2018 | Change | 2017 | |||||||||||||
Net sales by category: | |||||||||||||||||
iPhone (1) | $ | 142,381 | (14 | )% | $ | 164,888 | 18 | % | $ | 139,337 | |||||||
Mac (1) | 25,740 | 2 | % | 25,198 | (1 | )% | 25,569 | ||||||||||
iPad (1) | 21,280 | 16 | % | 18,380 | (2 | )% | 18,802 | ||||||||||
Wearables, Home and Accessories (1)(2) | 24,482 | 41 | % | 17,381 | 36 | % | 12,826 | ||||||||||
Services (3) | 46,291 | 16 | % | 39,748 | 22 | % | 32,700 | ||||||||||
Total net sales | $ | 260,174 | (2 | )% | $ | 265,595 | 16 | % | $ | 229,234 | |||||||
(1) | Products net sales include amortization of the deferred value of unspecified software upgrade rights, which are bundled in the sales price of the respective product. |
(2) | Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales include sales of AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, HomePod, iPod touch and Apple-branded and third-party accessories. |
(3) | Services net sales include sales from the Company’s digital content stores and streaming services, AppleCare, licensing and other services. Services net sales also include amortization of the deferred value of Maps, Siri and free iCloud services, which are bundled in the sales price of certain products. |
iPhone
iPhone net sales decreased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to lower iPhone unit sales.
Mac
Mac net sales increased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to higher net sales of MacBook Air, partially offset by lower net sales of MacBook® and MacBook Pro®.
iPad
iPad net sales increased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to higher net sales of iPad Pro.
Wearables, Home and Accessories
Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales increased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to higher net sales of AirPods and Apple Watch.
Services
Services net sales increased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to higher net sales from the App Store, licensing and AppleCare.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 19
Segment Operating Performance
The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. The Company’s reportable segments consist of the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Japan and Rest of Asia Pacific. Americas includes both North and South America. Europe includes European countries, as well as India, the Middle East and Africa. Greater China includes China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Rest of Asia Pacific includes Australia and those Asian countries not included in the Company’s other reportable segments. Although the reportable segments provide similar hardware and software products and similar services, each one is managed separately to better align with the location of the Company’s customers and distribution partners and the unique market dynamics of each geographic region. Further information regarding the Company’s reportable segments can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 11, “Segment Information and Geographic Data.”
The following table shows net sales by reportable segment for 2019, 2018 and 2017 (dollars in millions):
2019 | Change | 2018 | Change | 2017 | |||||||||||||
Net sales by reportable segment: | |||||||||||||||||
Americas | $ | 116,914 | 4 | % | $ | 112,093 | 16 | % | $ | 96,600 | |||||||
Europe | 60,288 | (3 | )% | 62,420 | 14 | % | 54,938 | ||||||||||
Greater China | 43,678 | (16 | )% | 51,942 | 16 | % | 44,764 | ||||||||||
Japan | 21,506 | (1 | )% | 21,733 | 23 | % | 17,733 | ||||||||||
Rest of Asia Pacific | 17,788 | 2 | % | 17,407 | 15 | % | 15,199 | ||||||||||
Total net sales | $ | 260,174 | (2 | )% | $ | 265,595 | 16 | % | $ | 229,234 | |||||||
Americas
Americas net sales increased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to higher Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales, partially offset by lower iPhone net sales. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact on Americas net sales during 2019.
Europe
Europe net sales decreased during 2019 compared to 2018 due to lower iPhone net sales, partially offset by higher Wearables, Home and Accessories and Services net sales. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had a significant unfavorable impact on Europe net sales during 2019.
Greater China
Greater China net sales decreased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to lower iPhone net sales, partially offset by higher Wearables, Home and Accessories and Services net sales. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact on Greater China net sales during 2019.
Japan
Japan net sales decreased during 2019 compared to 2018 due to lower iPhone net sales, partially offset by higher Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales. The value of the Japanese Yen relative to the U.S. dollar had a favorable impact on Japan net sales during 2019.
Rest of Asia Pacific
Rest of Asia Pacific net sales increased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to higher Wearables, Home and Accessories and Services net sales, partially offset by lower iPhone net sales. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had a significant unfavorable impact on Rest of Asia Pacific net sales during 2019.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 20
Gross Margin
Products and Services gross margin and gross margin percentage for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (dollars in millions):
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||
Gross margin: | |||||||||||
Products | $ | 68,887 | $ | 77,683 | $ | 70,197 | |||||
Services | 29,505 | 24,156 | 17,989 | ||||||||
Total gross margin | $ | 98,392 | $ | 101,839 | $ | 88,186 | |||||
Gross margin percentage: | |||||||||||
Products | 32.2 | % | 34.4 | % | 35.7 | % | |||||
Services | 63.7 | % | 60.8 | % | 55.0 | % | |||||
Total gross margin percentage | 37.8 | % | 38.3 | % | 38.5 | % | |||||
Products Gross Margin
Products gross margin and Products gross margin percentage decreased during 2019 compared to 2018 due primarily to lower iPhone unit sales and the weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.
Products gross margin increased during 2018 compared to 2017 due primarily to a favorable shift in mix of iPhones and the strength in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, partially offset by higher product cost structures. Year-over-year Products gross margin percentage decreased during 2018 due primarily to higher product cost structures, partially offset by the strength in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar.
Services Gross Margin
Year-over-year Services gross margin increased during 2019 and 2018 due primarily to higher Services net sales and a different services mix. Year-over-year Services gross margin percentage increased during 2019 and 2018 due primarily to a different services mix and leverage of the Company’s services fixed cost structure from higher Services net sales.
The Company’s future gross margins can be impacted by a variety of factors, as set forth in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors”. As a result, the Company believes, in general, gross margins will be subject to volatility and remain under downward pressure.
Operating Expenses
Operating expenses for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (dollars in millions):
2019 | Change | 2018 | Change | 2017 | |||||||||||||
Research and development | $ | 16,217 | 14 | % | $ | 14,236 | 23 | % | $ | 11,581 | |||||||
Percentage of total net sales | 6 | % | 5 | % | 5 | % | |||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | $ | 18,245 | 9 | % | $ | 16,705 | 9 | % | $ | 15,261 | |||||||
Percentage of total net sales | 7 | % | 6 | % | 7 | % | |||||||||||
Total operating expenses | $ | 34,462 | 11 | % | $ | 30,941 | 15 | % | $ | 26,842 | |||||||
Percentage of total net sales | 13 | % | 12 | % | 12 | % | |||||||||||
Research and Development
The year-over-year growth in R&D expense in 2019 was driven primarily by increases in headcount-related expenses. The Company continues to believe that focused investments in R&D are critical to its future growth and competitive position in the marketplace, and to the development of new and updated products and services that are central to the Company’s core business strategy.
Selling, General and Administrative
The year-over-year growth in selling, general and administrative expense in 2019 was driven primarily by increases in headcount-related expenses and higher spending on marketing and advertising and infrastructure-related costs.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 21
Other Income/(Expense), Net
Other income/(expense), net (“OI&E”) for 2019, 2018 and 2017 was as follows (dollars in millions):
2019 | Change | 2018 | Change | 2017 | |||||||||||||
Interest and dividend income | $ | 4,961 | $ | 5,686 | $ | 5,201 | |||||||||||
Interest expense | (3,576 | ) | (3,240 | ) | (2,323 | ) | |||||||||||
Other income/(expense), net | 422 | (441 | ) | (133 | ) | ||||||||||||
Total other income/(expense), net | $ | 1,807 | (10 | )% | $ | 2,005 | (27 | )% | $ | 2,745 | |||||||
The year-over-year decrease in OI&E during 2019 was due primarily to lower interest income and higher interest expense, partially offset by the impact of foreign exchange–related items. The weighted-average interest rate earned by the Company on its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities was 2.19% and 2.16% in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
Provision for Income Taxes
Provision for income taxes, effective tax rate and statutory federal income tax rate for 2019, 2018 and 2017 were as follows (dollars in millions):
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||
Provision for income taxes | $ | 10,481 | $ | 13,372 | $ | 15,738 | |||||
Effective tax rate | 15.9 | % | 18.3 | % | 24.6 | % | |||||
Statutory federal income tax rate | 21.0 | % | 24.5 | % | 35.0 | % | |||||
On December 22, 2017, the U.S. enacted the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Act”), which significantly changed U.S. tax law. The Act lowered the Company’s U.S. statutory federal income tax rate from 35% to 21% effective January 1, 2018, while also imposing a deemed repatriation tax on previously deferred foreign income. By operation of law, the Company applied a blended U.S. statutory federal income tax rate of 24.5% for 2018 (the “2018 blended U.S. tax rate”). The Act also created a new minimum tax on certain foreign earnings.
The Company’s effective tax rate for 2019 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate due primarily to the lower tax rate on foreign earnings and tax benefits from share-based compensation. The Company’s effective tax rate for 2018 was lower than the 2018 blended U.S. tax rate due primarily to the lower tax rate on foreign earnings, partially offset by the remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of the Act.
The Company’s effective tax rate for 2019 was lower compared to 2018 due primarily to a lower statutory federal income tax rate in 2019 and the impact of the Act in 2018, partially offset by higher taxes on foreign earnings in 2019.
As of September 28, 2019, the Company had net deferred tax assets arising from deductible temporary differences and tax credits of $14.3 billion and deferred tax liabilities of $6.2 billion. Management believes it is more likely than not that forecasted income, including income that may be generated as a result of certain tax planning strategies, together with future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, will be sufficient to recover the net deferred tax assets. The Company will continue to evaluate the amount of the valuation allowance, if any, by assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Hedging
In August 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities (“ASU 2017-12”). ASU 2017-12 expands component and fair value hedging, specifies the presentation of the effects of hedging instruments, and eliminates the separate measurement and presentation of hedge ineffectiveness. The Company will adopt ASU 2017-12 in its first quarter of 2020 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method. Based on the Company’s derivative portfolio and hedging strategies, the adoption of ASU 2017-12 is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Financial Instruments
In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which modifies the measurement of expected credit losses on certain financial instruments. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-13 in its first quarter of 2021 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method. Based on the composition of the Company’s investment portfolio, current market conditions, and historical credit loss activity, the adoption of ASU 2016-13 is not expected to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 22
Leases
In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842) (“ASU 2016-02”), which modifies lease accounting for lessees to increase transparency and comparability by recording lease assets and liabilities for operating leases and disclosing key information about leasing arrangements. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-02 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method through a cumulative-effect adjustment at the beginning of its first quarter of 2020. Upon adoption, the Company anticipates recording lease-related assets and liabilities of approximately $8 billion on its Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet, with no material impact to its Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The following table presents selected financial information and statistics as of and for the years ended September 28, 2019, September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017 (in millions):
2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |||||||||
Cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities (1) | $ | 205,898 | $ | 237,100 | $ | 268,895 | |||||
Property, plant and equipment, net | $ | 37,378 | $ | 41,304 | $ | 33,783 | |||||
Commercial paper | $ | 5,980 | $ | 11,964 | $ | 11,977 | |||||
Total term debt | $ | 102,067 | $ | 102,519 | $ | 103,703 | |||||
Working capital | $ | 57,101 | $ | 15,410 | $ | 28,792 | |||||
Cash generated by operating activities | $ | 69,391 | $ | 77,434 | $ | 64,225 | |||||
Cash generated by/(used in) investing activities | $ | 45,896 | $ | 16,066 | $ | (46,446 | ) | ||||
Cash used in financing activities | $ | (90,976 | ) | $ | (87,876 | ) | $ | (17,974 | ) | ||
(1) | As of September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, total cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities included $18.9 billion and $20.3 billion, respectively, that was restricted from general use, related to the State Aid Decision (refer to Note 5, “Income Taxes” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K) and other agreements. |
The Company believes its existing balances of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, along with commercial paper and other short-term liquidity arrangements, will be sufficient to satisfy its working capital needs, capital asset purchases, dividends, share repurchases, debt repayments and other liquidity requirements associated with its existing operations over the next 12 months.
In connection with the State Aid Decision, as of September 28, 2019, the entire adjusted recovery amount of €12.9 billion plus interest of €1.2 billion was funded into escrow, where it will remain restricted from general use pending the conclusion of all appeals. Further information regarding the State Aid Decision can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 5, “Income Taxes.”
The Company’s marketable securities investment portfolio is primarily invested in highly rated securities, with the primary objective of minimizing the potential risk of principal loss. The Company’s investment policy generally requires securities to be investment grade and limits the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer.
During 2019, cash generated by operating activities of $69.4 billion was a result of $55.3 billion of net income and non-cash adjustments to net income of $17.6 billion, partially offset by a decrease in the net change in operating assets and liabilities of $3.5 billion. Cash generated by investing activities of $45.9 billion during 2019 consisted primarily of proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities, net of purchases, of $57.5 billion, partially offset by cash used to acquire property, plant and equipment of $10.5 billion. Cash used in financing activities of $91.0 billion during 2019 consisted primarily of cash used to repurchase common stock of $66.9 billion, cash used to pay dividends and dividend equivalents of $14.1 billion, cash used to repay term debt of $8.8 billion and net repayments of commercial paper of $6.0 billion, partially offset by net proceeds from the issuance of term debt of $7.0 billion.
During 2018, cash generated by operating activities of $77.4 billion was a result of $59.5 billion of net income and an increase in the net change in operating assets and liabilities of $34.7 billion, partially offset by non-cash adjustments to net income of $16.8 billion. Cash generated by investing activities of $16.1 billion during 2018 consisted primarily of proceeds from maturities and sales of marketable securities, net of purchases, of $32.4 billion, partially offset by cash used to acquire property, plant and equipment of $13.3 billion. Cash used in financing activities of $87.9 billion during 2018 consisted primarily of cash used to repurchase common stock of $72.7 billion, cash used to pay dividends and dividend equivalents of $13.7 billion and cash used to repay term debt of $6.5 billion, partially offset by net proceeds from the issuance of term debt of $7.0 billion.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 23
Capital Assets
The Company’s capital expenditures were $7.6 billion during 2019, which included product tooling and manufacturing process equipment; data centers; corporate facilities and infrastructure, including information systems hardware, software and enhancements; and retail store facilities.
Debt
The Company issues unsecured short-term promissory notes (“Commercial Paper”) pursuant to a commercial paper program. The Company uses the net proceeds from the commercial paper program for general corporate purposes, including dividends and share repurchases. As of September 28, 2019, the Company had $6.0 billion of Commercial Paper outstanding, with a weighted-average interest rate of 2.24% and maturities generally less than nine months.
As of September 28, 2019, the Company had outstanding floating- and fixed-rate notes with varying maturities for an aggregate principal amount of $101.7 billion (collectively the “Notes”). During 2019, the Company issued $7.0 billion and repaid $8.8 billion of Notes. The Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk on the Notes. In addition, the Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into foreign currency swaps to manage foreign currency risk on the Notes.
Further information regarding the Company’s debt issuances and related hedging activity can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 3, “Financial Instruments” and Note 6, “Debt.”
Capital Return Program
On April 30, 2019, the Company announced the Board of Directors increased the current share repurchase program authorization from $100 billion to $175 billion of the Company’s common stock, of which $96.1 billion had been utilized as of September 28, 2019. During 2019, the Company repurchased 345.2 million shares of its common stock for $67.1 billion, including 62.0 million shares delivered under a $12.0 billion ASR dated February 2019, which settled in August 2019. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. Under this program, shares may be repurchased in privately negotiated and/or open market transactions, including under plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act.
On April 30, 2019, the Company also announced the Board of Directors raised the Company’s quarterly cash dividend from $0.73 to $0.77 per share, beginning with the dividend paid during the third quarter of 2019. The Company intends to increase its dividend on an annual basis, subject to declaration by the Board of Directors.
Contractual Obligations
The following table presents certain payments due by the Company as of September 28, 2019, and excludes amounts already recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, except for term debt and the deemed repatriation tax payable (in millions):
Payments due in 2020 | Payments due in 2021–2022 | Payments due in 2023–2024 | Payments due after 2024 | Total | |||||||||||||||
Term debt | $ | 10,270 | $ | 18,278 | $ | 19,329 | $ | 53,802 | $ | 101,679 | |||||||||
Operating leases | 1,306 | 2,413 | 1,746 | 5,373 | 10,838 | ||||||||||||||
Manufacturing purchase obligations (1) | 40,076 | 1,974 | 808 | 69 | 42,927 | ||||||||||||||
Other purchase obligations | 3,744 | 2,271 | 572 | 41 | 6,628 | ||||||||||||||
Deemed repatriation tax payable | — | 4,350 | 8,501 | 16,655 | 29,506 | ||||||||||||||
Total | $ | 55,396 | $ | 29,286 | $ | 30,956 | $ | 75,940 | $ | 191,578 | |||||||||
(1) | Represents amount expected to be paid under manufacturing-related supplier arrangements, which are primarily noncancelable. |
Operating Leases
The Company’s retail store and other facility leases typically have original terms not exceeding 10 years and generally contain multi-year renewal options.
Manufacturing Purchase Obligations
The Company utilizes several outsourcing partners to manufacture sub-assemblies for the Company’s products and to perform final assembly and testing of finished products. These outsourcing partners acquire components and build product based on demand information supplied by the Company, which typically covers periods up to 150 days. The Company also obtains individual components for its products from a wide variety of individual suppliers.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 24
Other Purchase Obligations
The Company’s other purchase obligations consist of noncancelable obligations to acquire capital assets, including product tooling and manufacturing process equipment, and noncancelable obligations related to advertising, licensing, R&D, Internet and telecommunications services, content creation and other activities.
Deemed Repatriation Tax Payable
As of September 28, 2019, a significant portion of the other non-current liabilities in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet consisted of the deemed repatriation tax payable imposed by the Act. The Company plans to pay the deemed repatriation tax payable in installments in accordance with the Act.
Other Non-Current Liabilities
The Company’s remaining other non-current liabilities primarily consist of items for which the Company is unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing or amount of payments; therefore, such amounts are not included in the above contractual obligation table.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Company’s discussion and analysis of its financial condition and operating results require the Company’s management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported. Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates, and such differences may be material.
Management believes the Company’s critical accounting policies and estimates are those related to revenue recognition, valuation of manufacturing-related assets and estimation of inventory purchase commitment cancellation fees, warranty costs, income taxes, and legal and other contingencies. Management considers these policies critical because they are both important to the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and operating results, and they require management to make judgments and estimates about inherently uncertain matters. The Company’s senior management has reviewed these critical accounting policies and related disclosures with the Audit and Finance Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Revenue Recognition
The Company has identified up to three performance obligations regularly included in arrangements involving the sale of iPhone, Mac, iPad and certain other products. The first performance obligation, which represents the substantial portion of the allocated sales price, is the hardware and bundled software delivered at the time of sale. The second performance obligation is the right to receive certain product-related bundled services, which include iCloud, Siri and Maps. The third performance obligation is the right to receive, on a when-and-if-available basis, future unspecified software upgrades relating to the software bundled with each device. The Company allocates revenue and any related discounts to these performance obligations based on their relative stand-alone selling prices (“SSPs”). Because the Company lacks observable prices for the undelivered performance obligations, the allocation of revenue is based on the Company’s estimated SSPs. Revenue allocated to the product-related bundled services and unspecified software upgrade rights is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated period they are expected to be provided.
The Company’s process for determining estimated SSPs involves management’s judgment and considers multiple factors that may vary over time depending upon the unique facts and circumstances related to each deliverable. Should future facts and circumstances change, the Company’s SSPs and the future rate of related amortization for product-related bundled services and unspecified software upgrade rights related to future sales of these devices could change. Factors subject to change include the nature of the product-related bundled services and unspecified software upgrade rights offered, their estimated value and the estimated period they are expected to be provided.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 25
Valuation of Manufacturing-Related Assets and Estimation of Inventory Purchase Commitment Cancellation Fees
The Company invests in manufacturing-related assets, including capital assets held at its suppliers’ facilities and prepayments provided to certain of its suppliers associated with long-term agreements to secure the supply of inventory. The Company also accrues estimated purchase commitment cancellation fees related to inventory orders that have been canceled or are expected to be canceled. The Company’s estimates of future product development plans and demand for its products are the key inputs in the determination of the recoverability of manufacturing-related assets and the assessment of the adequacy of any purchase commitment cancellation fee accruals. If there is an abrupt and substantial decline in estimated demand for one or more of the Company’s products, a change in the Company’s product development plans, or an unanticipated change in technological requirements for any of the Company’s products, the Company may be required to record write-downs or impairments of manufacturing-related assets or accrue purchase commitment cancellation fees.
Warranty Costs
The Company offers limited warranties on its new hardware products and on parts used to repair its hardware products, and customers may purchase extended service coverage, where available, on many of the Company’s hardware products. The Company accrues the estimated cost of warranties in the period the related revenue is recognized based on historical and projected warranty claim rates, historical and projected cost per claim and knowledge of specific product failures outside the Company’s typical experience. The Company regularly reviews these estimates and adjusts the amounts as necessary. If actual product failure rates or repair costs differ from estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liabilities would be required.
Income Taxes
The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are then measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater-than-50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of GAAP and complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with management’s expectations could have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Legal and Other Contingencies
As discussed in Part I, Item 3 of this Form 10-K under the heading “Legal Proceedings” and in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies,” the Company is subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company records a liability when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount is reasonably estimable, the determination of which requires significant judgment. Except as described in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies” under the heading “Contingencies,” in the opinion of management, there was not at least a reasonable possibility the Company may have incurred a material loss, or a material loss greater than a recorded accrual, concerning loss contingencies for asserted legal and other claims.
The outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected.
Item 7A. | Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk |
Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Risk Management
The Company regularly reviews its foreign exchange forward and option positions and interest rate swaps, both on a stand-alone basis and in conjunction with its underlying foreign currency and interest rate exposures. Given the effective horizons of the Company’s risk management activities and the anticipatory nature of the exposures, there can be no assurance these positions will offset more than a portion of the financial impact resulting from movements in either foreign exchange or interest rates. Further, the recognition of the gains and losses related to these instruments may not coincide with the timing of gains and losses related to the underlying economic exposures and, therefore, may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results.
Interest Rate Risk
The Company’s exposure to changes in interest rates relates primarily to the Company’s investment portfolio and outstanding debt. While the Company is exposed to global interest rate fluctuations, the Company’s interest income and expense are most sensitive to fluctuations in U.S. interest rates. Changes in U.S. interest rates affect the interest earned on the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and the fair value of those securities, as well as costs associated with hedging and interest paid on the Company’s debt.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 26
The Company’s investment policy and strategy are focused on the preservation of capital and supporting the Company’s liquidity requirements. The Company uses a combination of internal and external management to execute its investment strategy and achieve its investment objectives. The Company typically invests in highly rated securities, with the primary objective of minimizing the potential risk of principal loss. The Company’s investment policy generally requires securities to be investment grade and limits the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. To provide a meaningful assessment of the interest rate risk associated with the Company’s investment portfolio, the Company performed a sensitivity analysis to determine the impact a change in interest rates would have on the value of the investment portfolio assuming a 100 basis point parallel shift in the yield curve. Based on investment positions as of September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates across all maturities would result in a $2.8 billion and $4.9 billion incremental decline in the fair market value of the portfolio, respectively. Such losses would only be realized if the Company sold the investments prior to maturity.
As of September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018, the Company had outstanding floating- and fixed-rate notes with varying maturities for an aggregate carrying amount of $102.1 billion and $102.5 billion, respectively. The Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk on its outstanding term debt. Interest rate swaps allow the Company to effectively convert fixed-rate payments into floating-rate payments or floating-rate payments into fixed-rate payments. Gains and losses on term debt are generally offset by the corresponding losses and gains on the related hedging instrument. A 100 basis point increase in market interest rates would cause interest expense on the Company’s debt as of September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018 to increase by $325 million and $399 million on an annualized basis, respectively.
Foreign Currency Risk
In general, the Company is a net receiver of currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, changes in exchange rates, and in particular a strengthening of the U.S. dollar, will negatively affect the Company’s net sales and gross margins as expressed in U.S. dollars. There is a risk that the Company will have to adjust local currency pricing due to competitive pressures when there has been significant volatility in foreign currency exchange rates.
The Company may enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts with financial institutions to protect against foreign exchange risks associated with certain existing assets and liabilities, certain firmly committed transactions, forecasted future cash flows and net investments in foreign subsidiaries. In addition, the Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into foreign currency contracts to partially offset the foreign currency exchange gains and losses on its foreign currency–denominated debt issuances. The Company generally hedges portions of its forecasted foreign currency exposure associated with revenue and inventory purchases, typically for up to 12 months. However, the Company may choose not to hedge certain foreign exchange exposures for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, accounting considerations or the prohibitive economic cost of hedging particular exposures.
To provide an assessment of the foreign currency risk associated with certain of the Company’s foreign currency derivative positions, the Company performed a sensitivity analysis using a value-at-risk (“VAR”) model to assess the potential impact of fluctuations in exchange rates. The VAR model consisted of using a Monte Carlo simulation to generate thousands of random market price paths assuming normal market conditions. The VAR is the maximum expected loss in fair value, for a given confidence interval, to the Company’s foreign currency derivative positions due to adverse movements in rates. The VAR model is not intended to represent actual losses but is used as a risk estimation and management tool. Forecasted transactions, firm commitments and assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies were excluded from the model. Based on the results of the model, the Company estimates with 95% confidence, a maximum one-day loss in fair value of $452 million as of September 28, 2019, compared to a maximum one-day loss in fair value of $592 million as of September 29, 2018. Because the Company uses foreign currency instruments for hedging purposes, the losses in fair value incurred on those instruments are generally offset by increases in the fair value of the underlying exposures.
Actual future gains and losses associated with the Company’s investment portfolio, debt and derivative positions may differ materially from the sensitivity analyses performed as of September 28, 2019 due to the inherent limitations associated with predicting the timing and amount of changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and the Company’s actual exposures and positions.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 27
Item 8. | Financial Statements and Supplementary Data |
Index to Consolidated Financial Statements | Page | |
All financial statement schedules have been omitted, since the required information is not applicable or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 28
Apple Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and per share amounts)
Years ended | |||||||||||
September 28, 2019 | September 29, 2018 | September 30, 2017 | |||||||||
Net sales: | |||||||||||
Products | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
Total net sales | |||||||||||
Cost of sales: | |||||||||||
Products | |||||||||||
Services | |||||||||||
Total cost of sales | |||||||||||
Gross margin | |||||||||||
Operating expenses: | |||||||||||
Research and development | |||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | |||||||||||
Total operating expenses | |||||||||||
Operating income | |||||||||||
Other income/(expense), net | |||||||||||
Income before provision for income taxes | |||||||||||
Provision for income taxes | |||||||||||
Net income | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Earnings per share: | |||||||||||
Basic | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Diluted | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Shares used in computing earnings per share: | |||||||||||
Basic | |||||||||||
Diluted | |||||||||||
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 29
Apple Inc.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(In millions)
Years ended | |||||||||||
September 28, 2019 | September 29, 2018 | September 30, 2017 | |||||||||
Net income | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
Other comprehensive income/(loss): | |||||||||||
Change in foreign currency translation, net of tax | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||
Change in unrealized gains/losses on derivative instruments, net of tax: | |||||||||||
Change in fair value of derivatives | ( | ) | |||||||||
Adjustment for net (gains)/losses realized and included in net income | ( | ) | |||||||||
Total change in unrealized gains/losses on derivative instruments | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||
Change in unrealized gains/losses on marketable securities, net of tax: | |||||||||||
Change in fair value of marketable securities | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||
Adjustment for net (gains)/losses realized and included in net income | ( | ) | |||||||||
Total change in unrealized gains/losses on marketable securities | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||
Total other comprehensive income/(loss) | ( | ) | ( | ) | |||||||
Total comprehensive income | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||
See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Apple Inc. | 2019 Form 10-K | 30
Apple Inc.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and par value)
September 28, 2019 | September 29, 2018 | ||||||
ASSETS: | |||||||
Current assets: | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | $ | |||||
Marketable securities | |||||||
Accounts receivable, net | |||||||
Inventories | |||||||
Vendor non-trade receivables | |||||||
Other current assets | |||||||
Total current assets | |||||||
Non-current assets: | |||||||
Marketable securities | |||||||