Net income of $13.1 billion in the period that ended Dec. 31 ranked among the highest quarterly profits on record, putting Apple in the same league as energy companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and Russia’s Gazprom OAO (OGZPY), data compiled by Bloomberg show. Per-share profit of $13.87 for the period was more than Apple earned in any full year before 2010.
Apple sold 37 million iPhones in the period, with customers snapping up the new 4S model that went on sale in October, a week after the death of co-founder Steve Jobs. Record revenue vaulted Apple ahead of Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) Co. as the world’s biggest computer maker by sales and quelled concern that the company’s allure may dim as it embarks on a new era with Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook at the helm.
