Thursday, April 30, 2026

Whoo-Hoo! There's A Golf Tournament On -- I Don't Have To Watch CNBC, CNN, Or ABC News -- April 30, 2016

Locator: 50675AAPL.

After Hours -- AAPL

AAPL: turned sharply lower just before the close. Does someone know something? Was there a "tell'? Or simply profit-taking at last opportunity. Big players can take their profits; sit on those profits and wait for the inevitable pull back. BREAKING -- crossing now --  it looks like after hours, AAPL may settle slightly up after the close -- 50 cents to a buck higher. 

  • beat on top and bottom
    • EPS: $2.01 vs $1.95: a record for the March quarter
    • revenue: $111.2 vs $109.66
  • iPhone: second miss in three quarters
  • services: record 
  • cash hoard: $146.60 billion 
    • compare with BRK with about $373 billion in cash, 4Q25, 
    • slightly lower than $382 billion in 3Q25
  • comment: these are not numbers that get analysts truly excited especially after all the hype; 
    • appear to be within numbers being whispered about on Wall Street
    • not the wild numbers that some were suggesting 
    • this was definitely not a blow-out quarter for folks who really don't understand Apple
  • gross margin: 49.3 vs 48.4; at the higher end of guidance for margin -- "49" handle vs "48" handle
    • simply phenomenal
    • greatest supply chain vs anyone else
    • Tim Cook's expertise 
  • increases dividend by 4% to 27 cents / share + buyback $100 billion 
  • dividend: Apple actually doing something Warren Buffett forever refused to do 

Original Post 

BRK-B: holy mackerel! BRK is down today and the US equity markets are surging. Motley Fool is still telling investors BRK looks like a buy. Okay.  

Trump golf

The 2026 Cadillac Championship begins today, April 30, at Trump National Doral’s Blue Monster in Miami, featuring a $20 million purse. Scottie Scheffler is the betting favorite at +290. Early first-round leaders include Scottie Scheffler, Sahith Theegala, Billy Harman, and Cameron Young at -3.

Locator: 50675ARCHIVES.

News

This is going to be the most news-filled day in a long time. I may note headlines for the archives, but I have no plans to write much about anything until later this evening, once I've been able to digest everything, including the darkened shrimp taco I had for lunch, along with an Old-Fashioned. So rare do I have a cocktail, it's worth posting. LOL.

Okay, the news:

TSA is funded. My flight is fine! 

Epstein's suicide note is locked up by a judge. Whoo-hoo! This will drive The NY Times crazy.

WTI: sinking! Now, trading just above $105. It had been as high as $108.

LIV golfers: not being welcomed back by the PGA.

Blockade: NACHO. [Not a chance Hormuz opens.]

US markets: off to the races.

AAPL: reports later today. Only one more hour.

What's important for Charles III: Scotch. Trump vows to remove all tariffs on Scottish whiskey following meetings with Camille's husband.

California: Valero ends production of gasoline at the Benicia refinery northeast of San Francisco. Provided upwards of 10% of California's gasoline demand.

 

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The AI Bubble

Mark has had enough: will removes Meta apps from New Mexico if state's demands are unreasonable.

Beth: SK Hyix -- planning to invest $13 billion for an advanced packaging plant in South Korea to meet rising demand for AI memory chips.

GOOG: up more than 10% today.

Earnings after hours today: eleven. Only one matters.

AAPL, whispers -- quarterly earnings, history -- 

  • forecast: 
    • EPS: $1.94
    • revenue: $109.7 billion
  • history, of note
    • March quarter always the second/third best 
    • June quarter always the worse
    • Sept quarter always the second / third worst
    • December quarter always the best
  • recently
    • the best quarter in 2021 reported EPS of $1.93