Apple 10-K 2020-09-26

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

☒ ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended September 26, 2020

or

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to .

Commission File Number: 001-36743

Apple Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

(408) 996-1010

(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to submit such files).

Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the Registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).

Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant, as of March 27, 2020, the last business day of the Registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $1,070,633,000,000. Solely for purposes of this disclosure, shares of common stock held by executive officers and directors of the Registrant as of such date have been excluded because such persons may be deemed to be affiliates. This determination of executive officers and directors as affiliates is not necessarily a conclusive determination for any other purposes.

17,001,802,000 shares of common stock were issued and outstanding as of October 16, 2020.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of the Registrant’s definitive proxy statement relating to its 2021 annual meeting of shareholders (the “2021 Proxy Statement”) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K where indicated. The 2021 Proxy Statement will be filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year to which this report relates.

Apple Inc.

Form 10-K

For the Fiscal Year Ended September 26, 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Form 10-K”) contains forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that involve risks and uncertainties. Many of the forward-looking statements are located in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K under the heading “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. For example, statements in this Form 10-K regarding the potential future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s business and results of operations are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by words such as “future,” “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “can,” “may,” and similar terms. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and the Company’s actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors.” The Company assumes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements for any reason, except as required by law.

Unless otherwise stated, all information presented herein is based on the Company’s fiscal calendar, and references to particular years, quarters, months or periods refer to the Company’s fiscal years ended in September and the associated quarters, months and periods of those fiscal years. Each of the terms the “Company” and “Apple” as used herein refers collectively to Apple Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries, unless otherwise stated.

PART I

Company Background

The Company designs, manufactures and markets smartphones, personal computers, tablets, wearables and accessories, and sells a variety of related services. The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period that ends on the last Saturday of September. The Company is a California corporation established in 1977.

Products

iPhone

iPhone® is the Company’s line of smartphones based on its iOS operating system. During 2020, the Company released a new iPhone SE. In October 2020, the Company announced four new iPhone models with 5G technology: iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro were available starting in October 2020, and iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini are both expected to be available in November 2020.

Mac

Mac® is the Company’s line of personal computers based on its macOS® operating system. During 2020, the Company released a new 16-inch MacBook Pro®, a fully redesigned Mac Pro®, and updated versions of its MacBook Air®, 13-inch MacBook Pro and 27-inch iMac®.

iPad

iPad® is the Company’s line of multi-purpose tablets based on its iPadOS® operating system. During 2020, the Company released an updated iPad Pro®. In September 2020, the Company released an eighth-generation iPad and introduced an all-new iPad Air®, which was available starting in October 2020.

Wearables, Home and Accessories

Wearables, Home and Accessories includes AirPods®, Apple TV®, Apple Watch®, Beats® products, HomePod®, iPod touch® and other Apple-branded and third-party accessories. AirPods are the Company’s wireless headphones that interact with Siri®. During 2020, the Company released AirPods Pro®. Apple Watch is the Company’s line of smart watches based on its watchOS® operating system. In September 2020, the Company released Apple Watch Series 6 and a new Apple Watch SE. In October 2020, the Company announced HomePod mini™, which is expected to be available in November 2020.

Services

Advertising

The Company’s advertising services include various third-party licensing arrangements and the Company’s own advertising platforms.

Apple Inc. | 2020 Form 10-K | 1

AppleCare

The Company offers a portfolio of fee-based service and support products under the AppleCare® brand. The offerings provide priority access to Apple technical support, access to the global Apple authorized service network for repair and replacement services, and in many cases additional coverage for instances of accidental damage and/or theft and loss, depending on the country and type of product.

Cloud Services

The Company’s cloud services store and keep customers’ content up-to-date and available across multiple Apple devices and Windows personal computers.

Digital Content

The Company operates various platforms, including the App Store®, that allow customers to discover and download applications and digital content, such as books, music, video, games and podcasts.

The Company also offers digital content through subscription-based services, including Apple ArcadeSM, a game subscription service; Apple Music®, which offers users a curated listening experience with on-demand radio stations; Apple News+SM, a subscription news and magazine service; and Apple TV+SM, which offers exclusive original content. In September 2020, the Company announced Apple Fitness+SM, a personalized fitness service built for Apple Watch, which is expected to be available before the end of calendar 2020.

Payment Services

The Company offers payment services, including Apple Card™, a co-branded credit card, and Apple Pay®, a cashless payment service.

Markets and Distribution

The Company’s customers are primarily in the consumer, small and mid-sized business, education, enterprise and government markets. The Company sells its products and resells third-party products in most of its major markets directly to consumers, small and mid-sized businesses, and education, enterprise and government customers through its retail and online stores and its direct sales force. The Company also employs a variety of indirect distribution channels, such as third-party cellular network carriers, wholesalers, retailers and resellers. During 2020, the Company’s net sales through its direct and indirect distribution channels accounted for 34% and 66%, respectively, of total net sales.

No single customer accounted for more than 10% of net sales in 2020, 2019 and 2018.

Competition

The markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive, and are characterized by aggressive price competition and resulting downward pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products and services, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in product price and performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses. Many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily through aggressive pricing and very low cost structures, and by emulating the Company’s products and infringing on its intellectual property.

The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on ensuring the continuing and timely introduction of innovative new products, services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company believes it is unique in that it designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its products, including the hardware, operating system, numerous software applications and related services. Principal competitive factors important to the Company include price, product and service features (including security features), relative price and performance, product and service quality and reliability, design innovation, a strong third-party software and accessories ecosystem, marketing and distribution capability, service and support, and corporate reputation.

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The Company is focused on expanding its market opportunities related to smartphones, personal computers, tablets and other electronic devices and services. The Company faces substantial competition in these markets from companies that have significant technical, marketing, distribution and other resources, as well as established hardware, software, and service offerings with large customer bases. In addition, some of the Company’s competitors have broader product lines, lower-priced products and a larger installed base of active devices. Competition has been particularly intense as competitors have aggressively cut prices and lowered product margins. Certain competitors may have the resources, experience or cost structures to provide products at little or no profit or even at a loss. The Company’s services compete with business models that provide content to users for free and use illegitimate means to obtain third-party digital content and applications. The Company expects competition in these markets to intensify significantly as competitors imitate the Company’s product features and applications within their products, or collaborate to offer integrated solutions that are more competitive than those they currently offer.

Supply of Components

Although most components essential to the Company’s business are generally available from multiple sources, certain components are currently obtained from single or limited sources. The Company also competes for various components with other participants in the markets for smartphones, personal computers, tablets and other electronic devices. Therefore, many components used by the Company, including those that are available from multiple sources, are at times subject to industry-wide shortage and significant commodity pricing fluctuations.

The Company uses some custom components that are not commonly used by its competitors, and new products introduced by the Company often utilize custom components available from only one source. When a component or product uses new technologies, initial capacity constraints may exist until the suppliers’ yields have matured or their manufacturing capacities have increased. The continued availability of these components at acceptable prices, or at all, may be affected if suppliers decide to concentrate on the production of common components instead of components customized to meet the Company’s requirements.

The Company has entered into agreements for the supply of many components; however, there can be no guarantee that the Company will be able to extend or renew these agreements on similar terms, or at all.

Substantially all of the Company’s hardware products are manufactured by outsourcing partners that are located primarily in Asia, with some Mac computers manufactured in the U.S. and Ireland.

Research and Development

Because the industries in which the Company competes are characterized by rapid technological advances, the Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily upon its ability to ensure a continual and timely flow of competitive products, services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company continues to develop new technologies to enhance existing products and services, and to expand the range of its offerings through research and development (“R&D”), licensing of intellectual property and acquisition of third-party businesses and technology.

Intellectual Property

The Company currently holds a broad collection of intellectual property rights relating to certain aspects of its hardware devices, accessories, software and services. This includes patents, copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade dress and other forms of intellectual property rights in the U.S. and various foreign countries. Although the Company believes the ownership of such intellectual property rights is an important factor in its business and that its success does depend in part on such ownership, the Company relies primarily on the innovative skills, technical competence and marketing abilities of its personnel.

The Company regularly files patent applications to protect innovations arising from its research, development and design, and is currently pursuing thousands of patent applications around the world. Over time, the Company has accumulated a large portfolio of issued patents, including utility patents, design patents and others. The Company also holds copyrights relating to certain aspects of its products and services. No single intellectual property right is solely responsible for protecting the Company’s products. The Company believes the duration of its intellectual property rights is adequate relative to the expected lives of its products.

In addition to Company-owned intellectual property, many of the Company’s products and services are designed to include intellectual property owned by third parties. It may be necessary in the future to seek or renew licenses relating to various aspects of the Company’s products, processes and services. While the Company has generally been able to obtain such licenses on commercially reasonable terms in the past, there is no guarantee that such licenses could be obtained in the future on reasonable terms or at all.

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Business Seasonality and Product Introductions

The Company has historically experienced higher net sales in its first quarter compared to other quarters in its fiscal year due in part to seasonal holiday demand. Additionally, new product and service introductions can significantly impact net sales, cost of sales and operating expenses. The timing of product introductions can also impact the Company’s net sales to its indirect distribution channels as these channels are filled with new inventory following a product launch, and channel inventory of an older product often declines as the launch of a newer product approaches. Net sales can also be affected when consumers and distributors anticipate a product introduction.

Employees

As of September 26, 2020, the Company had approximately 147,000 full-time equivalent employees.

Available Information

The Company’s Annual Reports 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 Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Such reports and other information filed by the Company with the SEC are available free of charge at investor.apple.com/investor-relations/sec-filings/default.aspx when such reports are available on the SEC’s website. The Company periodically provides other information for investors on its corporate website, www.apple.com, and its investor relations website, investor.apple.com. This includes press releases and other information about financial performance, information on corporate governance and details related to the Company’s annual meeting of shareholders. The information contained on the websites referenced in this Form 10-K is not incorporated by reference into this filing. Further, the Company’s references to website URLs are intended to be inactive textual references only.

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The following discussion of risk factors contains forward-looking statements. These risk factors may be important to understanding other statements in this Form 10-K. The following information should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this Form 10-K.

The business, financial condition and operating results of the Company can be affected by a number of factors, whether currently known or unknown, including but not limited to those described below, any one or more of which could, directly or indirectly, cause the Company’s actual financial condition and operating results to vary materially from past, or from anticipated future, financial condition and operating results. Any of these factors, in whole or in part, could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, operating results and stock price.

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.

The Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price have been adversely affected and could in the future be materially adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout the world, prompting governments and businesses to take unprecedented measures in response. Such measures have included restrictions on travel and business operations, temporary closures of businesses, and quarantines and shelter-in-place orders. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly curtailed global economic activity and caused significant volatility and disruption in global financial markets.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by many countries in response have adversely affected and could in the future materially adversely impact the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price. Following the initial outbreak of the virus, the Company experienced disruptions to its manufacturing, supply chain and logistical services provided by outsourcing partners, resulting in temporary iPhone supply shortages that affected sales worldwide. During the course of the pandemic, the Company’s retail stores, as well as channel partner points of sale, have been temporarily closed at various times. In many cases, where stores and points of sale have reopened they are subject to operating restrictions to protect public health and the health and safety of employees and customers. The Company has at times required substantially all of its employees to work remotely.

The Company is continuing to monitor the situation and take appropriate actions in accordance with the recommendations and requirements of relevant authorities. The full extent of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s operational and financial performance is currently uncertain and will depend on many factors outside the Company’s control, including, without limitation, the timing, extent, trajectory and duration of the pandemic, the development and availability of effective treatments and vaccines, the imposition of and compliance with protective public safety measures, and the impact of the pandemic on the global economy and demand for consumer products. Additional future impacts on the Company may include, but are not limited to, material adverse effects on: demand for the Company’s products and services; the Company’s supply chain and sales and distribution channels; the Company’s ability to execute its strategic plans; and the Company’s profitability and cost structure.

To the extent the COVID-19 pandemic adversely affects the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price, it may also have the effect of heightening many of the other risks described in this Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K.

Global and regional economic conditions could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.

The Company has international operations with sales outside the U.S. representing a majority of the Company’s total net sales. In addition, a majority of the Company’s supply chain, and its manufacturing and assembly activities, are located outside the U.S. As a result, the Company’s operations and performance depend significantly on global and regional economic conditions.

Adverse macroeconomic conditions, including inflation, slower growth or recession, new or increased tariffs and other barriers to trade, changes to fiscal and monetary policy, tighter credit, higher interest rates, high unemployment and currency fluctuations could materially adversely affect demand for the Company’s products and services. In addition, consumer confidence and spending could be adversely affected in response to financial market volatility, negative financial news, conditions in the real estate and mortgage markets, declines in income or asset values, changes to fuel and other energy costs, labor and healthcare costs and other economic factors.

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In addition to an adverse impact on demand for the Company’s products, uncertainty about, or a decline in, global or regional economic conditions could have a significant impact on the Company’s suppliers, contract manufacturers, logistics providers, distributors, cellular network carriers and other channel partners. Potential effects include financial instability; inability to obtain credit to finance operations and purchases of the Company’s products; and insolvency.

A downturn in the economic environment could also lead to increased credit and collectibility risk on the Company’s trade receivables; the failure of derivative counterparties and other financial institutions; limitations on the Company’s ability to issue new debt; reduced liquidity; and declines in the fair value of the Company’s financial instruments. These and other economic factors could materially adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and growth.

Global markets for the Company’s products and services are highly competitive and subject to rapid technological change, and the Company may be unable to compete effectively in these markets.

The Company’s products and services are offered in highly competitive global markets characterized by aggressive price competition and resulting downward pressure on gross margins, frequent introduction of new products and services, short product life cycles, evolving industry standards, continual improvement in product price and performance characteristics, rapid adoption of technological advancements by competitors, and price sensitivity on the part of consumers and businesses.

The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends heavily on ensuring the continuing and timely introduction of innovative new products, services and technologies to the marketplace. The Company believes it is unique in that it designs and develops nearly the entire solution for its products, including the hardware, operating system, numerous software applications and related services. As a result, the Company must make significant investments in R&D. There can be no assurance that these investments will achieve expected returns, and the Company may not be able to develop and market new products and services successfully.

The Company currently holds a significant number of patents, trademarks and copyrights and has registered, and applied to register, numerous patents, trademarks and copyrights. In contrast, many of the Company’s competitors seek to compete primarily th

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None.

The Company’s headquarters are located in Cupertino, California. As of September 26, 2020, the Company owned or leased facilities and land for corporate functions, R&D, data centers, retail and other purposes at locations throughout the U.S. and in various places outside the U.S. The Company believes its existing facilities and equipment, which are used by all reportable segments, are in good operating condition and are suitable for the conduct of its business.

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The Company is subject to legal proceedings and claims that have not been fully resolved and that have arisen in the ordinary course of business. The Company’s material legal proceedings are described in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies” under the heading “Contingencies.”

The outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected. The Company settled certain matters during the fourth quarter of 2020 that did not individually or in the aggregate have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition or operating results.

Not applicable.

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PART II

The Company’s common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol AAPL.

Common Stock Split

On August 28, 2020, the Company effected a four-for-one stock split to shareholders of record as of August 24, 2020. All share, restricted stock unit (“RSU”) and per share or per RSU information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

Holders

As of October 16, 2020, there were 22,797 shareholders of record.

Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers

Share repurchase activity during the three months ended September 26, 2020 was as follows (in millions, except number of shares, which are reflected in thousands, and per share amounts):

(1)As of September 26, 2020, the Company was authorized to purchase up to $225 billion of the Company’s common stock under a share repurchase program announced on April 30, 2020, of which $168.6 billion had been utilized. The remaining $56.4 billion in the table represents the amount available to repurchase shares under the authorized repurchase program as of September 26, 2020. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. Under this program, shares may be repurchased in privately negotiated and/or open market transactions, including under plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act.

(2)In May 2020, the Company entered into an accelerated share repurchase arrangement (“ASR”) to purchase up to $6.0 billion of the Company’s common stock. In August 2020, the purchase period for this ASR ended and an additional 3 million shares were delivered and retired. In total, 64 million shares were delivered under this ASR at an average repurchase price of $94.14.

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Company Stock Performance

The following graph shows a comparison of cumulative total shareholder return, calculated on a dividend-reinvested basis, for the Company, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P Information Technology Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Supersector Index for the five years ended September 26, 2020. The graph assumes $100 was invested in each of the Company’s common stock, the S&P 500 Index, the S&P Information Technology Index and the Dow Jones U.S. Technology Supersector Index as of the market close on September 25, 2015. Note that past stock price performance is not necessarily indicative of future stock price performance.

*$100 invested on September 25, 2015 in stock or index, including reinvestment of dividends. Data points are the last day of each fiscal year for the Company’s common stock and September 30th for indexes.

Copyright© 2020 Standard & Poor’s, a division of S&P Global. All rights reserved.

Copyright© 2020 S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC, a division of S&P Global. All rights reserved.

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The information set forth below for the five years ended September 26, 2020, is not necessarily indicative of results of future operations, and should be read in conjunction with Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K to fully understand factors that may affect the comparability of the information presented below (in millions, except number of shares, which are reflected in thousands, and per share amounts).

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The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. This section of this Form 10-K generally discusses 2020 and 2019 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2020 and 2019. Discussions of 2018 items and year-to-year comparisons between 2019 and 2018 that are not included in this Form 10-K can be found in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in Part II, Item 7 of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2019.

Fiscal Year Highlights

COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 has spread rapidly throughout the world, prompting governments and businesses to take unprecedented measures in response. Such measures have included restrictions on travel and business operations, temporary closures of businesses, and quarantines and shelter-in-place orders. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly curtailed global economic activity and caused significant volatility and disruption in global financial markets. The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures taken by many countries in response have adversely affected and could in the future materially adversely impact the Company’s business, results of operations, financial condition and stock price.

During 2020, aspects of the Company’s business were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, with many of the Company’s retail stores, as well as channel partner points of sale, temporarily closed at various times, and the vast majority of the Company’s employees working remotely. The Company has reopened some of its offices and the majority of its retail stores, subject to operating restrictions to protect public health and the health and safety of employees and customers, and it continues to work on safely re-opening the remainder of its offices and retail stores, subject to local rules and regulations.

The full extent of the future impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Company’s operational and financial performance is currently uncertain and will depend on many factors outside the Company’s control, including, without limitation, the timing, extent, trajectory and duration of the pandemic, the development and availability of effective treatments and vaccines, the imposition of protective public safety measures, and the impact of the pandemic on the global economy and demand for consumer products. Refer to Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors,” for more information.

The Company believes its existing balances of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, along with commercial paper and other short-term liquidity arrangements, will be sufficient to satisfy its working capital needs, capital asset purchases, dividends, share repurchases, debt repayments and other liquidity requirements associated with its existing operations.

Fiscal 2020 Highlights

Total net sales increased 6% or $14.3 billion during 2020 compared to 2019, primarily driven by higher net sales of Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories. The weakness in foreign currencies had an unfavorable impact on net sales during 2020.

In April 2020, the Company announced an increase to its current share repurchase program authorization from $175 billion to $225 billion and raised its quarterly dividend from $0.1925 to $0.205 per share beginning in May 2020. During 2020, the Company repurchased $72.5 billion of its common stock and paid dividends and dividend equivalents of $14.1 billion.

On August 28, 2020, the Company effected a four-for-one stock split to shareholders of record as of August 24, 2020. All share, RSU and per share or per RSU information has been retroactively adjusted to reflect the stock split.

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Products and Services Performance

The following table shows net sales by category for 2020, 2019 and 2018 (dollars in millions):

(1)Products net sales include amortization of the deferred value of unspecified software upgrade rights, which are bundled in the sales price of the respective product.

(2)Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales include sales of AirPods, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Beats products, HomePod, iPod touch and Apple-branded and third-party accessories.

(3)Services net sales include sales from the Company’s advertising, AppleCare, digital content and other services. Services net sales also include amortization of the deferred value of Maps, Siri, and free iCloud® storage and Apple TV+ services, which are bundled in the sales price of certain products.

iPhone

iPhone net sales decreased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to the absence of new iPhone models in the fourth quarter of 2020 and the weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar, partially offset by the introduction of iPhone SE in the third quarter of 2020.

Mac

Mac net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales of MacBook Pro.

iPad

iPad net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales of 10-inch versions of iPad, iPad Air and iPad Pro.

Wearables, Home and Accessories

Wearables, Home and Accessories net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales of AirPods and Apple Watch.

Services

Services net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales from the App Store, advertising and cloud services.

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Segment Operating Performance

The Company manages its business primarily on a geographic basis. The Company’s reportable segments consist of the Americas, Europe, Greater China, Japan and Rest of Asia Pacific. Americas includes both North and South America. Europe includes European countries, as well as India, the Middle East and Africa. Greater China includes China mainland, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Rest of Asia Pacific includes Australia and those Asian countries not included in the Company’s other reportable segments. Although the reportable segments provide similar hardware and software products and similar services, each one is managed separately to better align with the location of the Company’s customers and distribution partners and the unique market dynamics of each geographic region. Further information regarding the Company’s reportable segments can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 11, “Segment Information and Geographic Data.”

The following table shows net sales by reportable segment for 2020, 2019 and 2018 (dollars in millions):

Americas

Americas net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales of Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact on Americas net sales during 2020.

Europe

Europe net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales of iPhone, Wearables, Home and Accessories and Services. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact on Europe net sales during 2020.

Greater China

Greater China net sales decreased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to lower net sales of iPhone, partially offset by higher net sales of Services and iPad. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact on Greater China net sales during 2020.

Japan

Japan net sales were flat during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to lower net sales of iPhone, offset by higher net sales of Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories. The strength of the Japanese yen relative to the U.S. dollar had a favorable impact on Japan net sales during 2020.

Rest of Asia Pacific

Rest of Asia Pacific net sales increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher net sales of Wearables, Home and Accessories, Services and iPhone. The weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar had an unfavorable impact on Rest of Asia Pacific net sales during 2020.

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Gross Margin

Products and Services gross margin and gross margin percentage for 2020, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (dollars in millions):

Products Gross Margin

Products gross margin increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher Products volume and material cost savings, partially offset by the weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar and a different Products mix. Products gross margin percentage decreased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to the weakness in foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar and a different Products mix, partially offset by material cost savings and higher leverage.

Services Gross Margin

Services gross margin increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to higher Services net sales and a different Services mix. Services gross margin percentage increased during 2020 compared to 2019 due primarily to a different Services mix and higher leverage, partially offset by higher Services costs.

The Company’s future gross margins can be impacted by a variety of factors, as set forth in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K under the heading “Risk Factors.” As a result, the Company believes, in general, gross margins will be subject to volatility and remain under downward pressure.

Operating Expenses

Operating expenses for 2020, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (dollars in millions):

Research and Development

The year-over-year growth in R&D expense in 2020 was driven primarily by increases in headcount-related expenses. The Company continues to believe that focused investments in R&D are critical to its future growth and competitive position in the marketplace, and to the development of new and updated products and services that are central to the Company’s core business strategy.

Selling, General and Administrative

The year-over-year growth in selling, general and administrative expense in 2020 was driven primarily by increases in headcount-related expenses, higher spending on marketing and advertising, and higher variable selling expenses.

Apple Inc. | 2020 Form 10-K | 23

Other Income/(Expense), Net

Other income/(expense), net (“OI&E”) for 2020, 2019 and 2018 was as follows (dollars in millions):

The year-over-year decrease in OI&E during 2020 was due primarily to lower interest income and net impairment/gain activity on non-marketable securities, partially offset by lower interest expense. The weighted-average interest rate earned by the Company on its cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities was 1.85% and 2.19% in 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Provision for Income Taxes

Provision for income taxes, effective tax rate and statutory federal income tax rate for 2020, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (dollars in millions):

The Company’s effective tax rate for both 2020 and 2019 was lower than the statutory federal income tax rate due primarily to the lower tax rate on foreign earnings, including the impact of tax settlements, and tax benefits from share-based compensation.

The Company’s effective tax rate for 2020 was lower compared to 2019 due primarily to a one-time adjustment of U.S. foreign tax credits in response to regulations issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury in December 2019 in connection with the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Act”) and higher tax benefits from share-based compensation.

As of September 26, 2020, the Company had net deferred tax assets arising from deductible temporary differences and tax credits of $11.0 billion and deferred tax liabilities of $2.8 billion. Management believes it is more likely than not that forecasted income, including income that may be generated as a result of certain tax planning strategies, together with future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, will be sufficient to recover the net deferred tax assets. The Company will continue to evaluate the amount of the valuation allowance, if any, by assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

Financial Instruments

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments (“ASU 2016-13”), which modifies the measurement of expected credit losses on certain financial instruments. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-13 in its first quarter of 2021 utilizing the modified retrospective transition method. Based on the composition of the Company’s investment portfolio, current market conditions, and historical credit loss activity, the adoption of ASU 2016-13 will not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

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Liquidity and Capital Resources

The following table presents selected financial information and statistics as of and for the years ended September 26, 2020, September 28, 2019 and September 29, 2018 (in millions):

(1)As of September 26, 2020 and September 28, 2019, total marketable securities included $18.6 billion and $18.9 billion, respectively, that was restricted from general use, related to the State Aid Decision (refer to Note 5, “Income Taxes” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K) and other agreements.

The Company believes its existing balances of cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities, along with commercial paper and other short-term liquidity arrangements, will be sufficient to satisfy its working capital needs, capital asset purchases, dividends, share repurchases, debt repayments and other liquidity requirements associated with its existing operations over the next 12 months.

In connection with the State Aid Decision, as of September 26, 2020, the adjusted recovery amount of €12.9 billion plus interest of €1.2 billion was funded into escrow, where it will remain restricted from general use pending the conclusion of all legal proceedings. Further information regarding the State Aid Decision can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 5, “Income Taxes.”

The Company’s marketable securities investment portfolio is primarily invested in highly rated securities, with the primary objective of minimizing the potential risk of principal loss. The Company’s investment policy generally requires securities to be investment grade and limits the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer.

During 2020, cash generated by operating activities of $80.7 billion was a result of $57.4 billion of net income, non-cash adjustments to net income of $17.6 billion and an increase in the net change in operating assets and liabilities of $5.7 billion. Cash used in investing activities of $4.3 billion during 2020 consisted primarily of cash used to acquire property, plant and equipment of $7.3 billion and cash paid for business acquisitions, net of cash acquired, of $1.5 billion, partially offset by proceeds from maturities and sales of marketable securities, net of purchases, of $5.5 billion. Cash used in financing activities of $86.8 billion during 2020 consisted primarily of cash used to repurchase common stock of $72.4 billion, cash used to pay dividends and dividend equivalents of $14.1 billion, cash used to repay or redeem term debt of $12.6 billion and net repayments of commercial paper of $1.0 billion, partially offset by net proceeds from the issuance of term debt of $16.1 billion.

During 2019, cash generated by operating activities of $69.4 billion was a result of $55.3 billion of net income and non-cash adjustments to net income of $17.6 billion, partially offset by a decrease in the net change in operating assets and liabilities of $3.5 billion. Cash generated by investing activities of $45.9 billion during 2019 consisted primarily of proceeds from sales and maturities of marketable securities, net of purchases, of $57.5 billion, partially offset by cash used to acquire property, plant and equipment of $10.5 billion. Cash used in financing activities of $91.0 billion during 2019 consisted primarily of cash used to repurchase common stock of $66.9 billion, cash used to pay dividends and dividend equivalents of $14.1 billion, cash used to repay term debt of $8.8 billion and net repayments of commercial paper of $6.0 billion, partially offset by net proceeds from the issuance of term debt of $7.0 billion.

Debt

The Company issues unsecured short-term promissory notes (“Commercial Paper”) pursuant to a commercial paper program. The Company uses the net proceeds from the commercial paper program for general corporate purposes, including dividends and share repurchases. As of September 26, 2020, the Company had $5.0 billion of Commercial Paper outstanding, with a weighted-average interest rate of 0.62% and maturities generally less than nine months.

The Company may enter into agreements to sell certain of its marketable securities with a promise to repurchase the securities at a specified time and amount as an additional short-term liquidity arrangement.

Apple Inc. | 2020 Form 10-K | 25

As of September 26, 2020, the Company had outstanding floating- and fixed-rate notes with varying maturities for an aggregate principal amount of $106.1 billion (collectively the “Notes”). During 2020, the Company issued $16.1 billion and repaid or redeemed $12.6 billion of Notes. The Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk on the Notes. In addition, the Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into foreign currency swaps to manage foreign currency risk on the Notes.

Further information regarding the Company’s debt issuances and related hedging activity can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 3, “Financial Instruments” and Note 6, “Debt.”

Capital Return Program

As of September 26, 2020, the Company was authorized to purchase up to $225 billion of the Company’s common stock under a share repurchase program, of which $168.6 billion had been utilized. During 2020, the Company repurchased 917 million shares of its common stock for $72.5 billion, including 141 million shares delivered under a $10.0 billion November 2019 ASR and 64 million shares delivered under a $6.0 billion May 2020 ASR. The Company’s share repurchase program does not obligate it to acquire any specific number of shares. Under this program, shares may be repurchased in privately negotiated and/or open market transactions, including under plans complying with Rule 10b5-1 under the Exchange Act.

As of September 26, 2020, the Company’s quarterly cash dividend was $0.205 per share. The Company intends to increase its dividend on an annual basis, subject to declaration by the Board of Directors.

Contractual Obligations

The following table presents certain payments due by the Company as of September 26, 2020, and includes amounts already recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheet, except for manufacturing purchase obligations, other purchase obligations and certain lease obligations (in millions):

(1)Represents amount expected to be paid under manufacturing-related supplier arrangements, which are primarily noncancelable.

Leases

The Company has lease arrangements for certain equipment and facilities, including retail, corporate, manufacturing and data center space. The Company’s retail store and other facility leases typically have original terms not exceeding 10 years and generally contain multi-year renewal options. The above contractual obligations table includes future payments under leases that had commenced as of September 26, 2020, and were therefore recorded on the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet, as well as leases that had been signed but not yet commenced as of September 26, 2020. Further information regarding the Company’s leases can be found in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 12, “Leases.”

Manufacturing Purchase Obligations

The Company utilizes several outsourcing partners to manufacture sub-assemblies for the Company’s products and to perform final assembly and testing of finished products. These outsourcing partners acquire components and build product based on demand information supplied by the Company, which typically covers periods up to 150 days. The Company also obtains individual components for its products from a wide variety of individual suppliers.

Other Purchase Obligations

The Company’s other purchase obligations consist of noncancelable obligations to acquire capital assets, including product tooling and manufacturing process equipment, and noncancelable obligations related to advertising, licensing, R&D, Internet and telecommunications services, content creation and other activities.

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Deemed Repatriation Tax Payable

As of September 26, 2020, a significant portion of the other non-current liabilities in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheet consisted of the deemed repatriation tax payable imposed by the Act. The Company plans to pay the deemed repatriation tax payable in installments in accordance with the Act.

Other Non-Current Liabilities

The Company’s remaining other non-current liabilities primarily consist of items for which the Company is unable to make a reasonably reliable estimate of the timing or amount of payments; therefore, such amounts are not included in the above contractual obligations table.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) and the Company’s discussion and analysis of its financial condition and operating results require the Company’s management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported. Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates, and such differences may be material.

Management believes the Company’s critical accounting policies and estimates are those related to revenue recognition, valuation of manufacturing-related assets and estimation of inventory purchase commitment cancellation fees, warranty costs, income taxes, and legal and other contingencies. Management considers these policies critical because they are both important to the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and operating results, and they require management to make judgments and estimates about inherently uncertain matters. The Company’s senior management has reviewed these critical accounting policies and related disclosures with the Audit and Finance Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.

Revenue Recognition

The Company has identified up to three performance obligations regularly included in arrangements involving the sale of iPhone, Mac, iPad and certain other products. The first performance obligation, which represents the substantial portion of the allocated sales price, is the hardware and bundled software delivered at the time of sale. The second performance obligation is the right to receive certain product-related bundled services, which include iCloud, Siri and Maps. The third performance obligation is the right to receive, on a when-and-if-available basis, future unspecified software upgrades relating to the software bundled with each device. The Company allocates revenue and any related discounts to these performance obligations based on their relative stand-alone selling prices (“SSPs”). Because the Company lacks observable prices for the undelivered performance obligations, the allocation of revenue is based on the Company’s estimated SSPs. Revenue allocated to the product-related bundled services and unspecified software upgrade rights is deferred and recognized on a straight-line basis over the estimated period they are expected to be provided.

The Company’s process for determining estimated SSPs involves management’s judgment and considers multiple factors that may vary over time depending upon the unique facts and circumstances related to each deliverable. Should future facts and circumstances change, the Company’s SSPs and the future rate of related amortization for product-related bundled services and unspecified software upgrade rights related to future sales of these devices could change. Factors subject to change include the nature of the product-related bundled services and unspecified software upgrade rights offered, their estimated value and the estimated period they are expected to be provided.

Valuation of Manufacturing-Related Assets and Estimation of Inventory Purchase Commitment Cancellation Fees

The Company invests in manufacturing-related assets, including capital assets held at its suppliers’ facilities and prepayments provided to certain of its suppliers associated with long-term agreements to secure the supply of inventory. The Company also accrues estimated purchase commitment cancellation fees related to inventory orders that have been canceled or are expected to be canceled. The Company’s estimates of future product development plans and demand for its products are key inputs in determining the recoverability of manufacturing-related assets and assessing the adequacy of any purchase commitment cancellation fee accruals. If there is an abrupt and substantial decline in estimated demand for one or more of the Company’s products, a change in the Company’s product development plans, or an unanticipated change in technological requirements for any of the Company’s products, the Company may be required to record write-downs or impairments of manufacturing-related assets or accrue purchase commitment cancellation fees.

Apple Inc. | 2020 Form 10-K | 27

Warranty Costs

The Company offers limited warranties on its new and certified refurbished hardware products and on parts used to repair its hardware products, and customers may purchase extended service coverage, where available, on many of the Company’s hardware products. The Company accrues the estimated cost of warranties in the period the related revenue is recognized based on historical and projected warranty claim rates, historical and projected cost per claim and knowledge of specific product failures outside the Company’s typical experience. If actual product failure rates or repair costs differ from estimates, revisions to the estimated warranty liabilities would be required.

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes tax benefits from uncertain tax positions if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities, based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements from such positions are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater-than-50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement. The calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of GAAP and complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with management’s expectations could have a material impact on the Company’s financial condition and operating results.

Legal and Other Contingencies

As discussed in Part I, Item 3 of this Form 10-K under the heading “Legal Proceedings” and in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies,” the Company is subject to various legal proceedings and claims that arise in the ordinary course of business. The Company records a liability when it is probable that a loss has been incurred and the amount is reasonably estimable, the determination of which requires significant judgment. Except as described in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Note 10, “Commitments and Contingencies” under the heading “Contingencies,” in the opinion of management, there was not at least a reasonable possibility the Company may have incurred a material loss, or a material loss greater than a recorded accrual, concerning loss contingencies for asserted legal and other claims.

The outcome of litigation is inherently uncertain. If one or more legal matters were resolved against the Company in a reporting period for amounts above management’s expectations, the Company’s financial condition and operating results for that reporting period could be materially adversely affected.

Interest Rate and Foreign Currency Risk Management

The Company regularly reviews its foreign exchange forward and option positions and interest rate swaps, both on a stand-alone basis and in conjunction with its underlying foreign currency and interest rate exposures. Given the effective horizons of the Company’s risk management activities and the anticipatory nature of the exposures, there can be no assurance these positions will offset more than a portion of the financial impact resulting from movements in either foreign exchange or interest rates. Further, the recognition of the gains and losses related to these instruments may not coincide with the timing of gains and losses related to the underlying economic exposures and, therefore, may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and operating results.

Interest Rate Risk

The Company’s exposure to changes in interest rates relates primarily to the Company’s investment portfolio and outstanding debt. While the Company is exposed to global interest rate fluctuations, the Company’s interest income and expense are most sensitive to fluctuations in U.S. interest rates. Changes in U.S. interest rates affect the interest earned on the Company’s cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities and the fair value of those securities, as well as costs associated with hedging and interest paid on the Company’s debt.

The Company’s investment policy and strategy are focused on the preservation of capital and supporting the Company’s liquidity requirements. The Company uses a combination of internal and external management to execute its investment strategy and achieve its investment objectives. The Company typically invests in highly rated securities, with the primary objective of minimizing the potential risk of principal loss. The Company’s investment policy generally requires securities to be investment grade and limits the amount of credit exposure to any one issuer. To provide a meaningful assessment of the interest rate risk associated with the Company’s investment portfolio, the Company performed a sensitivity analysis to determine the impact a change in interest rates would have on the value of the investment portfolio assuming a 100 basis point parallel shift in the yield curve. Based on investment positions as of September 26, 2020 and September 28, 2019, a hypothetical 100 basis point increase in interest rates across all maturities would result in a $3.1 billion and $2.8 billion incremental decline in the fair market value of the portfolio, respectively. Such losses would only be realized if the Company sold the investments prior to maturity.

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As of September 26, 2020 and September 28, 2019, the Company had outstanding floating- and fixed-rate notes with varying maturities for an aggregate carrying amount of $107.4 billion and $102.1 billion, respectively. The Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into interest rate swaps to manage interest rate risk on its outstanding term debt. Interest rate swaps allow the Company to effectively convert fixed-rate payments into floating-rate payments or floating-rate payments into fixed-rate payments. Gains and losses on term debt are generally offset by the corresponding losses and gains on the related hedging instrument. A 100 basis point increase in market interest rates would cause interest expense on the Company’s debt as of September 26, 2020 and September 28, 2019 to increase by $218 million and $325 million on an annualized basis, respectively.

Foreign Currency Risk

In general, the Company is a net receiver of currencies other than the U.S. dollar. Accordingly, changes in exchange rates, and in particular a strengthening of the U.S. dollar, will negatively affect the Company’s net sales and gross margins as expressed in U.S. dollars. There is a risk that the Company will have to adjust local currency pricing due to competitive pressures when there has been significant volatility in foreign currency exchange rates.

The Company may enter into foreign currency forward and option contracts with financial institutions to protect against foreign exchange risks associated with certain existing assets and liabilities, certain firmly committed transactions, forecasted future cash flows and net investments in foreign subsidiaries. In addition, the Company has entered, and in the future may enter, into foreign currency contracts to partially offset the foreign currency exchange gains and losses on its foreign currency–denominated debt issuances. The Company generally hedges portions of its forecasted foreign currency exposure associated with revenue and inventory purchases, typically for up to 12 months. However, the Company may choose not to hedge certain foreign exchange exposures for a variety of reasons including, but not limited to, accounting considerations or the prohibitive economic cost of hedging particular exposures.

To provide an assessment of the foreign currency risk associated with certain of the Company’s foreign currency derivative positions, the Company performed a sensitivity analysis using a value-at-risk (“VAR”) model to assess the potential impact of fluctuations in exchange rates. The VAR model consisted of using a Monte Carlo simulation to generate thousands of random market price paths assuming normal market conditions. The VAR is the maximum expected loss in fair value, for a given confidence interval, to the Company’s foreign currency derivative positions due to adverse movements in rates. The VAR model is not intended to represent actual losses but is used as a risk estimation and management tool. Forecasted transactions, firm commitments and assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currencies were excluded from the model. Based on the results of the model, the Company estimates with 95% confidence, a maximum one-day loss in fair value of $551 million as of September 26, 2020, compared to a maximum one-day loss in fair value of $452 million as of September 28, 2019. Because the Company uses foreign currency instruments for hedging purposes, the losses in fair value incurred on those instruments are generally offset by increases in the fair value of the underlying exposures.

Actual future gains and losses associated with the Company’s investment portfolio, debt and derivative positions may differ materially from the sensitivity analyses performed as of September 26, 2020 due to the inherent limitations associated with predicting the timing and amount of changes in interest rates, foreign currency exchange rates and the Company’s actual exposures and positions.

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All financial statement schedules have been omitted, since the required information is not applicable or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes.

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Apple Inc.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In millions, except number of shares which are reflected in thousands and per share amounts)

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

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Apple Inc.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In millions)

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None.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Based on an evaluation under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, the Company’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act were effective as of September 26, 2020 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC rules and forms and (ii) accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive officer and principal financial officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Inherent Limitations over Internal Controls

The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that:

(i)pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the Company’s assets;

(ii)provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that the Company’s receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with authorizations of the Company’s management and directors; and

(iii)provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Management, including the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that the Company’s internal controls will prevent or detect all errors and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of internal controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. Also, any evaluation of the effectiveness of controls in future periods are subject to the risk that those internal controls may become inadequate because of changes in business conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act). Management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework). Based on the Company’s assessment, management has concluded that its internal control over financial reporting was effective as of September 26, 2020 to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP. The Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young LLP, has issued an audit report on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting, which appears in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There were no changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the fourth quarter of 2020, which were identified in connection with management’s evaluation required by paragraph (d) of Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 under the Exchange Act, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

None.

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PART III

The information required by this Item is set forth under the headings “Corporate Governance,” “Directors,” “Executive Officers” and, if applicable, “Other Information—Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after September 26, 2020 in connection with the solicitation of proxies for the Company’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item is set forth under the heading “Executive Compensation,” under the subheadings “Board Oversight of Risk Management” and, if applicable, “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation” under the heading “Corporate Governance” and under the subheadings “Compensation of Directors” and “Director Compensation—2020” under the heading “Directors” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after September 26, 2020, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item is set forth under the headings “Other Information—Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management” and “Other Information—Equity Compensation Plan Information” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after September 26, 2020, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item is set forth under the subheadings “Role of the Board of Directors,” “Board Committees”, “Review, Approval, or Ratification of Transactions with Related Persons” and “Transactions with Related Persons” under the heading “Corporate Governance” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after September 26, 2020, and is incorporated herein by reference.

The information required by this Item is set forth under the subheadings “Fees Paid to Auditors” and “Policy on Audit Committee Pre-Approval of Audit and Non-Audit Services Performed by the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” under the proposal “Ratification of Appointment of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” in the Company’s 2021 Proxy Statement to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after September 26, 2020, and is incorporated herein by reference.

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PART IV

**(a)**Documents filed as part of this report

**(1)**All financial statements

**(2)**Financial Statement Schedules

All financial statement schedules have been omitted, since the required information is not applicable or is not present in amounts sufficient to require submission of the schedule, or because the information required is included in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes included in this Form 10-K.

**(3)**Exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K (1)

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*Indicates management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

**Filed herewith.

***Furnished herewith.

(1)Certain instruments defining the rights of holders of long-term debt securities of the Registrant are omitted pursuant to Item 601(b)(4)(iii) of Regulation S-K. The Registrant hereby undertakes to furnish to the SEC, upon request, copies of any such instruments.

None.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Power of Attorney

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Timothy D. Cook and Luca Maestri, jointly and severally, his or her attorneys-in-fact, each with the power of substitution, for him or her in any and all capacities, to sign any amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with exhibits thereto and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that each of said attorneys-in-fact, or his substitute or substitutes, may do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

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