Apple ($AAPL) is in growth mode - and so is its stock. The Cupertino tech titan topped earnings estimates when it announced earnings October 30, sending the stock to new highs.
As for the alternative data, they look solid. Since the start of the second half of 2019, all Apple job postings have risen by more 8%. Among the job postings categories we've noted recent increases, are support and service and sales/business development. However, Apple is growing other segments of the company key for the upcoming quarter, as well as its future.
Hardware represents one of Apple's largest hiring segments, and the smartphone maker is getting back to business. Recently, job postings in the hardware category dropped, to a recent low of about 1,100, but they have risen 14% in the time since.
One of the areas of Apple's business getting more attention lately is its machine learning and AI segment, which saw job postings rise nearly 25% since July 30.
We'll conclude with one chart that's not near an all-time high (but could get there once the trade war wraps up). More than a year ago, when the US-China trade war was shaping up, US-based technology companies began backing away from job postings in China - Apple, among them. And while Apple has not fully exited China, its postings there are down year-over-year.
Now, US companies are returning to operations and production in China, either a sign of optimism that the trade war will soon end, or a signal to President Donald J. Trump that his policy beef is not being taken as seriously any longer.
About the Data:
Thinknum tracks companies using the information they post online - jobs, social and web traffic, product sales and app ratings - and creates data sets that measure factors like hiring, revenue and foot traffic. Data sets may not be fully comprehensive (they only account for what is available on the web), but they can be used to gauge performance factors like staffing and sales.