Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Amazon Earnings, Amazon in the Home

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Amazon Earnings

  • Amazon in the Home

Prior to heading off for vacation, we went over my thoughts on the U.S. v. Google verdict (Part 1 and Part 2). The two updates covered quite a bit. On social media, there continues to be a surprising number of people claiming default distribution contracts are under attack. Considering how the judge explained such arrangements are legal, it’s clear many people didn’t bother to read the verdict.

Earlier in the month, we took a deep dive into Apple’s 3Q24 earnings. While anticipation always rises heading into September thanks to the iPhone and Apple Watch rumor mill, expectations regarding what Apple will unveil remain in check. The same can be said for Apple Intelligence. There is growing acknowledgment that the rollout will be measured and gradual.

At this point, we will circle back to reviewing CY2Q24 earnings from some of Apple’s competitors. We already went over earnings releases from:

It makes sense to begin with the remaining Big Tech companies and then work our way down into certain verticals (i.e. streaming video). Today’s update will focus on Amazon’s earnings. It’s been six months since we talked about Amazon earnings (we skipped Amazon’s 1Q24).

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Tech Observations From My Vacation

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Tech Observations From My Vacation

It feels good to get into the swing of things following some vacation time. As in the past, we will ease back into the daily updates. My vacation included some time in various beach / seaside locations in New England. The list included both quiet locales and somewhat high-density areas.

Some time away from screens and my usual workflows can be incredibly enlightening when it comes to technology usage. A few years back, my vacation included just iPad and iPhone usage, representing the longest stretch without using a mouse and cursor in decades. Returning to the iMac after such a break felt awkward. The time away gave me perspective on how multi-touch is more intuitive than a mouse and cursor. My confidence level is high that at some point in the future, the same will be said about eye tracking / voice / gesturing / AI vs. multitouch. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We will focus on some observations from my vacation as it pertained to tech gadget / app / service usage.

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Focus Neil Cybart Focus Neil Cybart

Thoughts on the U.S. v. Google Verdict (Part 2)

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Thoughts on the U.S. v. Google Verdict (Part 2)

We will continue to focus on the U.S. v. Google verdict. After reading through the 286-page ruling, my notes came out to about three updates worth of material. After a significant amount of reduction and editing, we used two updates to talk about the ruling and its potential fallout (with Apple in mind). Yesterday’s update went over all of the interesting details / tidbits from the ruling. Today’s update is focused on my thoughts on the ruling and how Apple may be impacted.

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Focus Neil Cybart Focus Neil Cybart

Thoughts on the U.S. v. Google Verdict (Part 1)

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Thoughts on the U.S. v. Google Verdict (Part 1)

We are going to focus on the U.S. v. Google verdict. After reading through the 286-page ruling, my notes came out to about three updates worth of material. After a significant amount of reduction and editing, we are going to use two updates to talk about the ruling and its potential fallout (with Apple in mind).

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Apple 3Q24 10-Q Takeaways, A Few Interesting Tidbits About Apple’s Share Buyback, Apple’s Free Cash Flow Margin

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following stories:

  • Apple 3Q24 10-Q Takeaways

  • A Few Interesting Tidbits About Apple’s Share Buyback

  • Apple’s Free Cash Flow Margin

Today’s update will wrap up Neil’s 3Q24 Apple earnings review. We will examine Apple’s 3Q24 10-Q and the latest balance sheet and cash flow trends.

Here is how our review went:

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Reading Between the Lines of Apple’s 3Q24 Earnings Q&A With Analysts

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Reading Between the Lines of Apple’s 3Q24 Earnings Q&A With Analysts

Instead of just recapping the question and answer exchanges that occurred on Apple’s 3Q24 earnings call, we will go over Neil’s thoughts / response to each exchange. This will allow Neil to go beyond what was talked about on the call.

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Apple’s 3Q24 in Three Charts

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Apple’s 3Q24 in Three Charts

Last Friday, we went over how Apple’s 3Q24 earnings compared to my expectations. Results came in close to my estimates. Nearly every line item beat (HW gross margin was the only thing that missed). We also discussed the largest takeaway from earnings: iPhone fundamentals continue to gradually improve and are becoming less of a drag on overall ecosystem growth.

For today’s update, we turn our attention to secondary themes from Apple’s earnings as shown via three financial charts.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Buffett Slashes AAPL Stake in Half, What’s Really Going On?, Removing the Buffett Overhang

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Buffett Slashes AAPL Stake in Half

  • What’s Really Going On?

  • Removing the Buffett Overhang

Hello everyone. What a busy start to the week.

My initial thoughts on Apple’s earnings were sent to all you via email last Friday. We are going to take an unexpected detour to focus on Warren Buffett news that came out over the weekend. There is still much to talk about regarding Apple’s 3Q24 earnings release and conference call – we only touched upon the big picture takeaway. We will shift back to earnings review mode tomorrow.

Earlier today, a judge ruled against Google in the Google Search vs. U.S. trial. This was the trial that involved Google's default search deal with Apple. We will talk more about the development after I have had time to read through the 286-page ruling. For now, we can point back to the following daily updates regarding the topic:

Let’s jump in. 

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Focus Neil Cybart Focus Neil Cybart

Apple’s 3Q24 Earnings, The iPhone Is a Powder Keg

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Apple’s 3Q24 Earnings, The iPhone Is a Powder Keg

Welcome to a special Friday edition of the Above Avalon Daily. We will begin our Apple earnings review. The discussion will flow over into next week. Let's jump right in.

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

My Granular Estimates for Apple 3Q24 Earnings


Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • My Granular Estimates for Apple 3Q24 Earnings

We conclude my Apple 3Q24 earnings preview. Today’s discussion goes over my granular estimates for Apple’s 3Q24. We also look at my revised 4Q24 estimates heading into Thursday and a quick cheatsheet for Apple’s earnings release.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Setting the Stage for Apple’s 3Q24 Earnings

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Setting the Stage for Apple’s 3Q24 Earnings

We will begin preparing for Apple's earnings. Today’s discussion will examine the broader environment surrounding Apple (and AAPL) ahead of Thursday’s earnings release. We will go over my granular estimates tomorrow.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Spotify 2Q24 Earnings, Spotify vs. Apple Music

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Spotify 2Q24 Earnings

  • Spotify vs. Apple Music

This will be a busy week for earnings. We will begin preparing for Apple’s earnings release tomorrow. For today’s update, we focus on Spotify. It’s actually been nearly a year since we took a closer look at Spotify’s financial performance. The discussion goes over four factors that drove Spotify’s 2Q24, the big picture facing the company, and a key difference between Spotify and Apple Music.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Alphabet 2Q24 Earnings

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Alphabet 2Q24 Earnings

We examine Alphabet’s 2Q24 earnings release and conference call. Topics include generative AI’s impact on search, capex spending, Waymo, and YouTube growth.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

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  • Exclusive Analysis. Receive my daily newsletter and reports containing analysis and perspective, 100% related to Apple. 

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

About the Apple TV+ Rumors, What’s Wrong With Apple TV+?, Apple’s Goal for Apple TV+

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • About the Apple TV+ Rumors

  • What’s Wrong With Apple TV+?

  • Apple’s Goal for Apple TV+

Today's update will cover the Apple TV+ rumors that have taken over social media. Did Apple cut Apple TV+ spending? Is Apple TV+ engagement not doing well? What may be going on? Let's discuss.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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Choose either a monthly or annual membership. Payment is hosted by MoonClerk and secured by Stripe. Apple Pay and other mobile payment options are accepted. After signup, use this link to update your payment information and membership status at any time. Contact me with any questions. 

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Neil Cybart Neil Cybart

Netflix 2Q24 Earnings, Netflix Growth, Wall Street Giving Netflix Green Light to Spend

Today's Above Avalon Daily email contains the following story:

  • Netflix 2Q24 Earnings

  • Netflix Growth

  • Wall Street Giving Netflix Green Light to Spend

There continues to be quite a bit of interest in what’s unfolding in video and music streaming. While Netflix (and Spotify) appear to be finding their strides, Apple's strategy is increasingly being drawn into question by the press and some users. There are various topics that we will discuss. For today, we will dissect Netflix's earnings.

Above Avalon membership is required to read this update. Members can read the update here.


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