Apple and Amazon operate completely different businesses, your comparison doesn't make sense. Walmart has more than double the revenue of Apple (or Amazon) and yet has less than a 2% profit margin [1]. Is that suspicious? If anyone is an outlier I'd say it's Apple selling luxury priced goods (along with their fat margins) at consumer like scale.
Re:The Entire Economy Is MoviePass Now
by lotsofpulp on Wednesday May 16, 2018 @08:15PM
(#17087517)
Apple invented and brought to market a revolutionary new product at the right time (3G mobile internet), and their products are obviously high quality that can't be matched by others due to extremely high barriers of entry.
It's completely different to retail, which historically has low margins and has to compete with Walmart.
Re:The Entire Economy Is MoviePass Now
by scarface74 on Wednesday May 16, 2018 @08:12PM
(#17087506)
I don't think Amazon is cooking the books, investors think that Amazon has a better more sustainable business and that Apple is just one misfire away on the next iPhone from imploding. Most of Apples money either comes from the iPhone or services based on iPhone sells.
I'm not saying I necessarily agree with this assessment.
There is a lot of trust here that Amazon is secretly really profitable not just growing because their profit margins are unsustainably low. It wouldn't be the first time a large company engaged in questionable accounting if it turns out their unit numbers are actually not as good as they claim because of some accounting shenanigans.