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Originally Posted by John F
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The key words in that story are estimates and models, i.e. the writer doesn't know the actual numbers but he guesses at what he thinks they are and plugs that into his spreadsheet. Anyone who follows this sort of stuff knows how the game is played. It's the same way various analyst guess at iPhone sales (since Apple doesn't release those numbers), they talk to some people who might work for companies who sell parts to Apple, plug those rumors into spreadsheets and produce WAG numbers. Over the years, those estimates seem to be wildly off, based on earning calls, but they are numbers and can drive stock buys and pull backs.
I frequently wonder at why people latch on to guesses that people who actually know the numbers call off by several magnitudes and take those guesses as gospel. I guess it's just human nature to latch on to something in the face of uncertainly even if it's wrong.