According to the NPD Group, Apple’s market share where Mac computers are concerned continued its downward trend in May. Mac sales were down 3 percent YoY in May, while overall PC sales were up a substantial 12 percent. The NPD Group also noted that iPod sales were down a whopping 18 percent YoY last month. As Morgan Stanley’s Kathryn Huberty points out however, investors are hardly heading for the hills:
Perhaps most important, Apple’s mix of shipments improved significantly, with commercial shipments +25% MoM versus market growth of +1%. The higher ASP commercial shipments allowed Apple to outperform market revenue growth trends (despite losing unit market share) and could support higher margins in the June quarter.
Translation: Apple is still banking. Beyond Huberty’s assessment, a revised notebook line and lower prices revealed this month will likely help curtail the continued dip to some extent. As far as Apple’s overall performance in the coming months, let’s not forget a little thing called the iPhone 3G S that hits store shelves this Friday. While it might not be the upgrade many were hoping for, preliminary reports suggest that pre-orders are selling like Viagra in Florida — and sales likely won’t slow down any time soon.
