Ahead of tomorrow’s AAPL Q3 2021 earnings report, analysts are expecting good news. The Wall Street consensus is that the Cupertino company will report fiscal Q3/calendar Q2 revenue of $72.93B – up from 59.69B in the same quarter last year.

They expect earnings per share to reflect both this dramatic revenue growth and continued stock buybacks that effectively increase the value of each remaining share …

The Yahoo! Finance roundup of 25 analysts shows that even the most pessimistic of them are expecting substantial revenue growth. The low estimate is $65.68B, while the high end is $77.15B.

Of the 28 analysts who provided a forecast for earnings per share, the consensus number is bang-on $1, which is almost 50% up on last year.

The optimism continues when it comes to the AAPL stock price. The PED30 roundup has the consensus target at $161, compared to yesterday’s close of $148.56. The top end is represented by Wedbush and Raymond James, at $185, while New Street somehow came up with the low of $90.

The site notes that five analysts are “underwater” – predicting a target price below yesterday’s close. This includes Apple Card partner bank Goldman Sachs, at $130.

In the previous quarter’s earnings call, Apple warned that both Mac and iPad sales would be hit by supply constraints caused by the global chip shortage. However, analysts seemingly don’t appear to be expecting the hit to be too great in what is traditionally Apple’s slowest quarter for iPhone sales before the new models launch in the third quarter of the year.

CNET reports that some are sounding a note of caution on the pandemic front

This reflects a substantial number of anti-vaxxers in the US. A poll on Friday found that most of those not yet vaccinated do not plan to get the shots.

On Tuesday, it may take another more public step when CEO Tim Cook is inevitably asked questions about the pandemic by Wall Street analysts following the release of the company’s fiscal third-quarter results. And more eyes than usual may be on Cook as he speaks […]

Larger questions still remain about the coronavirus and the potential disruptions it could cause.

However, Apple has fared well during the pandemic, with supply disruptions more than offset by greater demand for tech products due to working and studying from home, a greater need for home-based entertainment, and more disposable income thanks to fewer things on which to spend money outside the home.

Of those who said they had not received a COVID-19 shot, 81 percent said they would not get a vaccine. This includes 45 percent who said they would “definitely” not get inoculated and 35 percent who said they “probably” would not […]

Last week, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Rochelle Walensky described the rise in new infections as “a pandemic of the unvaccinated.” The states with the worst outbreaks have lower vaccination rates.

AAPL Q3 2021 earnings will be announced tomorrow, and we’ll of course bring you live coverage.