Subject: Re: Apple from FT
The macrotrends link gets the gist correct, but for whatever reason, the way they scrape the data results in an incorrect share count for Apple for each 10K (each 9/30 date). Apple's share count doesn't stop falling and rise all of sudden each fiscal forth quarter. But the data presented in a 10K is a different format from a 10Q so somehow this site is scraping the wrong (not-comparable) figure for each fiscal Q4.

For reference, at 9/30/2022 Apple had 15,943,425,000 shares outstanding.

The most recent share count released (from the proxy) is 15,836,213,000 on 1/9/2023.

I believe the above figures indicate that Apple again slowed their share repurchase activity during a period it was seeing weakness in the business. The most popular iPhone model were supply constrained during the holiday quarter. The previous quarter (fiscal Q4), Apple repurchased over $25 Billion in stock. This looks like fiscal Q1 repurchase slowed from that pace. They have done this in the past when they are seeing a weak quarter. Unfortunately it often has the effect of slowing repurchase activity when the share price is lower and ramping it back up when the share price is higher.

I believe that puts Berkshire at 5.78% for what it's worth.

I've always been a fan of this document that Apple has put out consistently each quarter for a long time:
https://s2.q4cdn.com/470004039...
(this is a pdf from Apple's investor relations website)