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Will Apple's China Sales Rebound This Quarter?

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October surges from Facebook , Amazon (AMZN), Alphabet (GOOGL - Free Report) , Microsoft (MSFT - Free Report) , and Apple (AAPL - Free Report) made up 52% of the S&P 500’s overall monthly gains. While most of these companies have already reported, Apple investors might see even more upward movement if the tech giant posts strong Q4 earnings on Nov. 2.

Investors and most of the tech world will have their eyes on Apple this Thursday when it reports, as the company’s Q4 could prove to be vitally important ahead of Friday’s release of the 10th anniversary iPhone X.

Based on our current Zacks Consensus Estimates, Apple’s earnings are projected to climb over 12% to reach $1.87 per share. In terms of revenues, the iPhone maker’s sales are expected to jump 9.22% to hit $51.17 billion.

Apple investors might be happy to know that the company is currently a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). On top of that, Apple has failed to beat earnings estimates just once in the last 17 quarters.

But investors also know that basic earnings and revenues are just two factors among countless other metrics that must be weighed when diving into Apple’s upcoming Q4 report. Luckily, we can use our non-financial metrics file to better prepare ourselves.

These important stock drivers are from our exclusive non-financial metrics consensus estimate file. These estimates are updated daily and are based on the independent research of expert stock analysts. Learn more here>>>

At its core, Apple has essentially become a smartphone company, and the iPhone is its flagship. This means investors will pay close attention to iPhone sales, which won’t include the sleek new iPhone X or most iPhone 8 metrics. Nevertheless, sales are set to grow. The company’s music streaming service, Apple Music, is poised to expand as well.

Yet, just a day after Apple’s CEO met with Chinese President Xi Jinping—as part of a group of top executives from multibillion-dollar Western companies—his company’s sales in the Greater China region will be pored over extensively.

Apple’s revenues have slowed in the Greater China area in recent years. IPhone sales have slumped based on heightened competition from Chinese smartphone makers, who often sell much less expensive phones. On top of that, regulatory pressure from the Chinese government has helped suppress Apple’s sales in the world’s second-largest economy.

Last quarter, Apple’s Greater China revenues plummeted 9.54%. But the good news for Apple and its investors is that the company’s revenues in the region are expected to expand in the fourth quarter. Based on our current consensus estimates, Apple’s Greater Chinese sales are projected to jump 1.25% year-over-year to reach $8.89 billion.

For more stock-moving estimates ahead of Apple’s Q4 report, check out our full guide: 3 Key Estimates for Apple's Q4 Earnings Report.

And make sure to check back here for our full analysis of Apple’s actual results later this week!

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