Apple Earnings: Here Are 3 Figures to Look Out For

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) watchers will pore over the company’s earnings report for the fiscal first quarter once it’s sent out into the world after markets close on Wednesday. But there are a few figures in the jumble of numbers that will determine not only how the stock behaves in the near term, but also the direction the company is expected to take for the rest of the current fiscal year.

Here are the four numbers that are worth taking note of first up:

iPad Sales

The most crucial element of the iPad report is certainly a breakdown of full-sized iPad and iPad mini sales. But even if Apple chooses to be a spoilsport and leave out a split result, it will be an important question for the analysts to pose to executives during the post-earnings conference call. In any case, an overall number — which can help determine whether tablet sales grew significantly or if the smaller device cannibalized sales — will be a good indicator of trends. In the fourth quarter, Apple sold 14 million iPads, up 26 percent from last year.