Apple shares dipped after a Merrill Lynch analyst warned that shipments of the coveted new flat-panel iMacs could fall short of estimates.
Citing reports of production problems in Taiwan, analyst Steven Fortuna said info suggests that production levels for February will be somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 units, similar to the 5,000 units it estimates were produced in January, according to a CNET News report.
Fortuna said that the forecast for the (current) quarter calls for 200,000 units, “which would mean a lot of units need to be produced in March.” He added that these figures mean Apple could have trouble meeting earnings estimates for the current quarter, which ends in March. Apple’s shares fell $1.65, or about 7 percent, to close at $22.02 on Wednesday.
The new iMac is receiving rave reviews and is in high demand. Apple has received 150,000 preorders for the machine, the most ever for any new Apple product.