近日,苹果斩获“全球最有价值的公司”头衔,这在该公司的发展史上具有里程碑式的意义。有传闻称,下一代iPad(iPad3)将于今年10月进行试产。有乐观人士指出,在iPad这一新增长点的驱动下,未来苹果的市值还将进一步攀升,并且有可能创造增长率长期保持在70%以上水平的奇迹。
U.S. technology company Apple is now worth as much as the 32 biggest euro zone banks. That’s the stark result from a steep fall in the share price of banks including Spain’s Santander,France’s BNP Paribas,Germany’s Deutsche Bank and Italy’s Unicredit,compared to a steady rise in Apple’s valuation,according to Thomson Reuters data.
美国科技公司苹果现在的市值相当于欧元区32家最大的银行市值之和。汤姆森路透的数据显示,相比苹果估值的稳定上升,包括西班牙国际银行、法国巴黎银行、德国德意志银行和意大利联合信贷银行在内的欧元区大银行股价大幅下跌,上述结论正是这一对比的结果。(路透社)
欧元区银行的市值从2007年5月的历史高点大幅下滑了75%,相比之下,苹果的市值则受iPad及iPhone等产品的推动而大涨,已升至3400亿美元。
Fourteen years ago,strapped for cash and with faith in his company at rock bottom,Steve Jobs was forced to go cap in hand to arch-enemy Microsoft for a $150m investment. A business worth just $1.7bn when Mr. Jobs returned in 1997 is now worth more than $335bn and has been instrumental in overhauling both the personal computing and mobile communications industries.
14年前,苹果现金吃紧,人们对该公司的信心也处于谷底,史蒂夫·乔布斯被迫低头请求头号敌人微软施以援手、向苹果注资1.5亿美元。1997年乔布斯回归时,苹果市值仅17亿美元;如今,苹果市值已逾3350亿美元,而且促成了个人电脑业和移动通讯业的彻底改变。(英国《金融时报》)
回想10年前,微软的市值高于埃克森美孚,而苹果才只是勉强登上排行榜。如今,微软的市值比苹果少约40%,而苹果已超过埃克森美孚,成为全球市值最大的公司,令人们不禁感慨华尔街总是这样变幻无常。
By the end of this year,the iPad will already be more profitable for Apple than its traditional Mac business. In 2012, it is also expected to produce considerably higher revenues. A company with sales topping $100bn cannot keep growing at more than 70 per cent for long, but strapping on a new engine such as the iPad certainly helps.
到今年年底,iPad为苹果带来的利润就将超过其传统的Mac电脑业务。预计在2012年,iPad创造的营收也将大幅提高。一家销售额超过1000亿美元的企业不可能把增长率长期保持在70%以上的水平,但抓住像iPad这样的新增长点显然会起到积极作用。(英国《金融时报》)
苹果对市场的牢牢掌控令人印象深刻。今年本应是iPad类的产品爆发之年,但如今已到8月,却仍未出现一款能与iPad抗衡的产品。
Rivals have been routed so far. Motorola cut the price of its Xoom tablet after its February launch,released a cheaper model and warned shipments will decline this quarter. RIM’s PlayBook was delayed until April and still isn’t being offered for sale by the two biggest U.S. wireless carriers. Hewlett-Packard Co. is dropping the price of its TouchPad tablet by 20% little more than a month after it hit stores. Samsung Electronics Co. is now embroiled in a patent dispute with Apple that threatens sales of its Galaxy Tab in most of Europe.
到目前为止,苹果的竞争对手都溃不成军。摩托罗拉2月发布Xoom平板电脑后下调了价格,推出了更便宜的版本,并警告说本季度发货量将下滑。RIM的PlayBook延迟到4月才推出,而且目前仍没有在美国两大无线运营商那里销售。惠普公司将其上市仅仅一个多月的平板电脑TouchPad的价格下调20%以促进销量。三星电子现在则和苹果公司卷入了一场专利纠纷,这可能威胁其平板电脑Galaxy Tab在欧洲大部分地区的销售。(美国《华尔街日报》)
有消息称,苹果正与亚洲原件供应商及组装商协调,拟从10月份开始试生产下一代iPad(iPad3),以在平板电脑市场的竞争中保持领先优势。
Apple Inc plans to invest in a Sharp Corp factory to secure a supply of LCD screens for iPhones and iPads,sources said. The proposed move,along with an investment in a new LCD factory of Toshiba Corp,comes as Apple and key supplier Samsung Electronics battle in courts over patent disputes,spurring talk that Apple may diversify suppliers.
有消息称,苹果公司计划投资夏普公司的一家工厂,以保障iPhone和iPad液晶显示屏(LCD)的供应。这一行动计划,和苹果此前对东芝旗下一家LCD新生产厂的投资,都发生在苹果和LCD主要供应商三星电子就专利纠纷对决法庭的时间点。有舆论称,苹果可能在实现供应商的多元化。(路透社)
由于与三星之间的专利官司愈演愈烈,苹果不得不考虑更多的退路。如果有一天专利之战全面爆发,苹果也好迅速将大量订单进行转移。