Apple 2012 Annual Report Download - page 10

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following new product introductions as customers anticipate shortages. Backlog is often reduced once customers
believe they can obtain sufficient supply. Because of the foregoing, backlog should not be considered a reliable
indicator of the Company’s ability to achieve any particular level of revenue or financial performance.
Employees
As of September 29, 2012, the Company had approximately 72,800 full-time equivalent employees and an
additional 3,300 full-time equivalent temporary employees and contractors. Approximately 42,400 of the total
full-time equivalent employees worked in the Company’s Retail segment.
Available Information
The Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K,
and amendments to reports filed pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended (the “Exchange Act”), are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The
Company is subject to the informational requirements of the Exchange Act and files or furnishes reports, proxy
statements, and other information with the SEC. Such reports and other information filed by the Company with
the SEC are available free of charge on the Company’s website at www.apple.com/investor when such reports
are available on the SEC’s website. The public may read and copy any materials filed by the Company with the
SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, DC 20549. The public
may obtain information on the operation of the Public Reference Room by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.
The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information
regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov. The contents of these websites are not
incorporated into this filing. Further, the Company’s references to the URLs for these websites are intended to be
inactive textual references only.
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Because of the following factors, as well as other factors affecting the Company’s financial condition and
operating results, past financial performance should not be considered to be a reliable indicator of future
performance, and investors should not use historical trends to anticipate results or trends in future periods.
Global economic conditions could materially adversely affect the Company.
The Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on worldwide economic conditions.
Uncertainty about global economic conditions poses a risk as consumers and businesses postpone spending
in response to tighter credit, unemployment, negative financial news and/or declines in income or asset values.
For example, the continuing sovereign debt crisis, financial market volatility, and other factors in Europe have
resulted in reduced consumer and business confidence and spending in many countries. These worldwide and
regional economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on demand for the Company’s products and
services. Demand also could differ materially from the Company’s expectations because the Company generally
raises prices on goods and services sold outside the U.S. to correspond with the effect of a strengthening of the
U.S. dollar. Other factors that could influence demand include increases in fuel and other energy costs,
conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets, unemployment, labor and healthcare costs, access to credit,
consumer confidence, and other macroeconomic factors affecting consumer spending behavior. These and other
economic factors could materially adversely affect demand for the Company’s products and services.
In the event of financial turmoil affecting the banking system and financial markets, additional consolidation of
the financial services industry, or significant financial service institution failures, there could be a new or
incremental tightening in the credit markets, low liquidity, and extreme volatility in fixed income, credit,
currency, and equity markets. This could have a number of effects on the Company’s business, including the
insolvency or financial instability of outsourcing partners or suppliers or their inability to obtain credit to finance
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