Apple and Facebook surprised analysts: the two US giants beat estimates by presenting sharply growing quarterly accounts. The Cupertino-based group archived the second fiscal quarter (the one that ended on March 29th), with revenues of 45,6 billion dollars against the 43,6 billion recorded in the same quarter of 2013. Gross margins also increased settled at 39,3% from 37,5% a year earlier.
Apple's net earnings came to $10,2 billion from $9,55 billion a year earlier, recording the first quarterly increase since December 2012. Earnings per share were $11,62, beating estimates at 10,18, $8. The Cupertino-based company has also decided to reward shareholders by raising the quarterly dividend by 30% and launching a $XNUMX billion share buyback plan. Finally, Apple also announced a stock split starting in June.
As mentioned, Facebook was also surprising analysts, which recorded revenues of 2,5 billion, up 72% on an annual basis, beating estimates at 2,4 billion. That's $2,27 billion from advertising, up 82% year over year. Net income of Mark Zuckerberg's social network was $642 million from $219 million in the first quarter of 2013.
Furthermore, for the first time, the number of active users on a monthly basis with smartphones exceeded 1 billion, marking a +34% on an annual basis. Finally, Facebook has announced some changes in its organizational chart: the financial director David Ebersman, in fact, will leave the company after almost 5 years and will be replaced by David Wehner from June XNUMXst.
