CUPERTINO – Apple sales and profits surged in its most recent quarter, topping Wall Street expectations, thanks in part to a 22-percent jump in iPhone sales, the Cupertino company reported Tuesday.

Apple’s stock jumped on the news. In recent after-hours trading, it was up $2.69 a share, or 2.4 percent, to $117.24.

In its fiscal fourth quarter, the electronics maker earned $11.1 billion, or $1.96 a share. Total profits were up 30 percent from the year-earlier period, when the company earned $8.5 billion, or $1.42 a share.

Apple tallied $51.5 billion in sales in the most-recent quarter, a figure that was up 22 percent from its fourth quarter last year.

Both the company’s top and bottom line surpassed analysts forecast. On average, Wall Street analysts were expecting the company to earn $1.88 a share on sales of $51.1 billion.

The company did not provide specific earnings guidance for its first quarter, which coincides with the holiday season. But it did say it expected to see sales of between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion. And its detailed forecast of expenses, taxes and the like implies that the company expects to see earnings of between $17.3 billion and $18.5 billion. On a per-share basis, that works out to be around $3.04 to $3.26 a share, assuming that Apple’s share count remains the same.

Prior to the report, analysts were calling for earnings of $3.22 a share in the holiday period on $77.1 billion in revenue.

Some analysts and investors had been worrying about how many iPhones Apple would sell in period. Last year’s models — the first-ever large-screen iPhones — were blockbuster hits. By contrast, this year’s versions offered just incremental improvements, and some analysts fretted that Apple would be hard-pressed to top last year’s sales.

But the company beat them handily. In its fourth quarter, Apple sold 48 million iPhones, which was in-line with analysts estimates, but up from the 39.3 million the company sold in the same period last year. More impressively, the revenue it saw from its iPhone sales was up 36 percent from the same-period last year to $32.2 billion, implying that Apple was able to sell phones at higher prices than it did a year ago.

Analysts had also worried that the slowdown in the Chinese economy would hurt Apple’s results. China has become the second largest geographical market for the company after the Americas.

Sales in China did fall 5 percent from Apple’s third to its fourth quarter to $12.5 billion. But compared with its fourth quarter last year, Apple’s Chinese revenue was up 99 percent.

Apple’s shares closed regular trading on Tuesday down 73 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $114.55.

Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285. Follow him at Twitter.com/troywolv.

CUPERTINO – Apple sales and profits surged in its most recent quarter, topping Wall Street expectations, thanks in part to a 22-percent jump in iPhone sales, the Cupertino company reported Tuesday.

Apple’s stock jumped on the news. In recent after-hours trading, it was up $2.69 a share, or 2.4 percent, to $117.24.

In its fiscal fourth quarter, the electronics maker earned $11.1 billion, or $1.96 a share. Total profits were up 30 percent from the year-earlier period, when the company earned $8.5 billion, or $1.42 a share.

Apple tallied $51.5 billion in sales in the most-recent quarter, a figure that was up 22 percent from its fourth quarter last year.

Both the company’s top and bottom line surpassed analysts forecast. On average, Wall Street analysts were expecting the company to earn $1.88 a share on sales of $51.1 billion.

The company did not provide specific earnings guidance for its first quarter, which coincides with the holiday season. But it did say it expected to see sales of between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion. And its detailed forecast of expenses, taxes and the like implies that the company expects to see earnings of between $17.3 billion and $18.5 billion. On a per-share basis, that works out to be around $3.04 to $3.26 a share, assuming that Apple’s share count remains the same.

Prior to the report, analysts were calling for earnings of $3.22 a share in the holiday period on $77.1 billion in revenue.

Some analysts and investors had been worrying about how many iPhones Apple would sell in period. Last year’s models — the first-ever large-screen iPhones — were blockbuster hits. By contrast, this year’s versions offered just incremental improvements, and some analysts fretted that Apple would be hard-pressed to top last year’s sales.

But the company beat them handily. In its fourth quarter, Apple sold 48 million iPhones, which was in-line with analysts estimates, but up from the 39.3 million the company sold in the same period last year. More impressively, the revenue it saw from its iPhone sales was up 36 percent from the same-period last year to $32.2 billion, implying that Apple was able to sell phones at higher prices than it did a year ago.

Analysts had also worried that the slowdown in the Chinese economy would hurt Apple’s results. China has become the second largest geographical market for the company after the Americas.

Sales in China did fall 5 percent from Apple’s third to its fourth quarter to $12.5 billion. But compared with its fourth quarter last year, Apple’s Chinese revenue was up 99 percent.

Apple’s shares closed regular trading on Tuesday down 73 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $114.55.

Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285. Follow him at Twitter.com/troywolv.

CUPERTINO – Apple sales and profits surged in its most recent quarter, topping Wall Street expectations, thanks in part to a 22-percent jump in iPhone sales, the Cupertino company reported Tuesday.

Apple’s stock jumped on the news. In recent after-hours trading, it was up $2.69 a share, or 2.4 percent, to $117.24.

In its fiscal fourth quarter, the electronics maker earned $11.1 billion, or $1.96 a share. Total profits were up 30 percent from the year-earlier period, when the company earned $8.5 billion, or $1.42 a share.

Apple tallied $51.5 billion in sales in the most-recent quarter, a figure that was up 22 percent from its fourth quarter last year.

Both the company’s top and bottom line surpassed analysts forecast. On average, Wall Street analysts were expecting the company to earn $1.88 a share on sales of $51.1 billion.

The company did not provide specific earnings guidance for its first quarter, which coincides with the holiday season. But it did say it expected to see sales of between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion. And its detailed forecast of expenses, taxes and the like implies that the company expects to see earnings of between $17.3 billion and $18.5 billion. On a per-share basis, that works out to be around $3.04 to $3.26 a share, assuming that Apple’s share count remains the same.

Prior to the report, analysts were calling for earnings of $3.22 a share in the holiday period on $77.1 billion in revenue.

Some analysts and investors had been worrying about how many iPhones Apple would sell in period. Last year’s models — the first-ever large-screen iPhones — were blockbuster hits. By contrast, this year’s versions offered just incremental improvements, and some analysts fretted that Apple would be hard-pressed to top last year’s sales.

But the company beat them handily. In its fourth quarter, Apple sold 48 million iPhones, which was in-line with analysts estimates, but up from the 39.3 million the company sold in the same period last year. More impressively, the revenue it saw from its iPhone sales was up 36 percent from the same-period last year to $32.2 billion, implying that Apple was able to sell phones at higher prices than it did a year ago.

Analysts had also worried that the slowdown in the Chinese economy would hurt Apple’s results. China has become the second largest geographical market for the company after the Americas.

Sales in China did fall 5 percent from Apple’s third to its fourth quarter to $12.5 billion. But compared with its fourth quarter last year, Apple’s Chinese revenue was up 99 percent.

Apple’s shares closed regular trading on Tuesday down 73 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $114.55.

Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285. Follow him at Twitter.com/troywolv.

CUPERTINO – Apple sales and profits surged in its most recent quarter, topping Wall Street expectations, thanks in part to a 22-percent jump in iPhone sales, the Cupertino company reported Tuesday.

Apple’s stock jumped on the news. In recent after-hours trading, it was up $2.69 a share, or 2.4 percent, to $117.24.

In its fiscal fourth quarter, the electronics maker earned $11.1 billion, or $1.96 a share. Total profits were up 30 percent from the year-earlier period, when the company earned $8.5 billion, or $1.42 a share.

Apple tallied $51.5 billion in sales in the most-recent quarter, a figure that was up 22 percent from its fourth quarter last year.

Both the company’s top and bottom line surpassed analysts forecast. On average, Wall Street analysts were expecting the company to earn $1.88 a share on sales of $51.1 billion.

The company did not provide specific earnings guidance for its first quarter, which coincides with the holiday season. But it did say it expected to see sales of between $75.5 billion and $77.5 billion. And its detailed forecast of expenses, taxes and the like implies that the company expects to see earnings of between $17.3 billion and $18.5 billion. On a per-share basis, that works out to be around $3.04 to $3.26 a share, assuming that Apple’s share count remains the same.

Prior to the report, analysts were calling for earnings of $3.22 a share in the holiday period on $77.1 billion in revenue.

Some analysts and investors had been worrying about how many iPhones Apple would sell in period. Last year’s models — the first-ever large-screen iPhones — were blockbuster hits. By contrast, this year’s versions offered just incremental improvements, and some analysts fretted that Apple would be hard-pressed to top last year’s sales.

But the company beat them handily. In its fourth quarter, Apple sold 48 million iPhones, which was in-line with analysts estimates, but up from the 39.3 million the company sold in the same period last year. More impressively, the revenue it saw from its iPhone sales was up 36 percent from the same-period last year to $32.2 billion, implying that Apple was able to sell phones at higher prices than it did a year ago.

Analysts had also worried that the slowdown in the Chinese economy would hurt Apple’s results. China has become the second largest geographical market for the company after the Americas.

Sales in China did fall 5 percent from Apple’s third to its fourth quarter to $12.5 billion. But compared with its fourth quarter last year, Apple’s Chinese revenue was up 99 percent.

Apple’s shares closed regular trading on Tuesday down 73 cents, or 0.6 percent, to $114.55.

Contact Troy Wolverton at 408-840-4285. Follow him at Twitter.com/troywolv.