Apple’s Q4 earnings report was missing the most important number Wall Street was waiting for

Apple’s Q4 earnings report was missing the most important number Wall Street was waiting for

Apple didn't provide guidance for its fiscal Q1 2021 quarter when it reported Q4 earnings on Thursday because of uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

That number is important because it usually provides a big clue about how Apple's new iPhones are expected to perform during the holiday season.

Unlike years past, Apple's Q4 results didn't provide an indication of how first weekend sales for the iPhone 12 fared because the new smartphones launched later than usual.

Instead, Apple executives gave some vague hints about what reception to the iPhone 12 has been like so far, saying it expects iPhone revenue to grow in the December quarter. 

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When Apple reported its fiscal fourth quarter earnings on Thursday, Wall Street was all ears for any sign of