Apple barely tops iPhone sales forecast for fiscal Q3; shares hit record high after hours

Apple this afternoon, reported sales of 41.03 million units of the Apple iPhone for the company's fiscal third quarter. That narrowly beat Wall Street expectations of 40.7 million handsets forecast to be sold during the period. Year-over-year, the sale of iPhone units rose 2% for the fiscal third quarter, 3% if comparing revenue. On a sequential basis, 19% fewer iPhone units were sold during the fiscal third quarter compared to the fiscal second quarter. On a revenue basis, sequential sales declined 25%.

Adjusted earnings per share for the entire company rose to $1.67, which topped the Wall ...