In what is turning out to be one of the most interesting quarterly earnings reporting seasons for some years, Apple, Zynga, Nintendo, Microsoft, and Intel have all “surprised” the market with their “low” numbers — but there are fundamental differences in why these firms have had a tough quarter. (I’m going to use calendar quarters rather than financial quarters to avoid things getting far too complicated).I can think of four main reasons (I’m sure there are more):

• The tough product transition period, part 1: Apple. Apple had a pretty good Q2 2012 — far better than a year ago — but unfortunately it came on the back of a huge Q1 2012 (largely thanks to iPhone 4S). Citing poor demand in Europe among other factors, Tim Cook also made some interesting comments on the earnings call alluding to anticipation of iPhone 5 reducing demand for current products. Pent-up demand for the new phone seems unprecedented; once this device hits the market, Apple numbers should “improve.” It’s a testament to the financial markets’ belief that Apple can do no wrong that this shock miss of Wall Street’s inflated earnings estimates (albeit more in line with Apple’s own projections) shaved 5% off the share price overnight.
• The tough product transition period, part 2: Nintendo. Another firm whose current products are looking tired but whose shiny new products aren’t quite ready is Nintendo. The Wii has dropped off console sales charts in the past year, and while the 3DS is doing good business in the portable space, the release of new Wii U consoles is still (probably) several months away. It’s going to be a tough 2012 for Nintendo; crucially, there isn’t that guaranteed pent-up demand for the new console that Apple enjoys with the iPhone 5.
• Great business but bad investments coming home to roost: Microsoft. In many ways, Microsoft is also in a transition period — Windows 8 OS and accompanying Surface devices won’t arrive until October 26, 2012 — but luckily the rest of its products haven’t run out of steam. In fact, Q2 2012 was a good quarter with rising revenues; it’s just a shame that its on-going fruitless attempts to build a consumer media/advertising strategy led to a $6.2 billion writedown.
• A changing market causing (hopefully) short-term pain: Intel, AMD, PC OEMs. As expected, a tough global economy and the on-going consumer (and business) infatuation with tablets is hitting traditional PC sales numbers. Ironically, the solution to the tablet challenge may also be causing consumers to delay PC replacements while they wait to see a proper tablet + Windows solution, which won’t happen until the end of October.
• Wow, we did not expect that! Zynga. Cracks started to appear in Zynga’s “grinding games without the fun game bit” business model some time ago; its valuation at IPO (in November 2011) was based on the continuing stratospheric growth of user numbers (and the accompany microtransaction revenues) seen with early hits like Farmville and Mafia Wars. Unsurprisingly, like every other videogaming market, social games have turned out to be a hits-driven industry, with relatively low barriers to entry and a fickle audience. It also highlights the danger of relying on someone else’s platform (Facebook) over which you have no control. And the strategy of buying a rival “star” product/ firm (Draw Something by OMGPOP) for top dollar just as it became a “dog”(entirely bypassing the “cash-cow” phase) didn’t help . . . see this if that last sentence didn’t mean much to you.

Of course it’s not all doom and gloom: ARM and Samsung have reported excellent results of late — and even Facebook did moderately OK, even if that didn’t stop the markets from punishing its share price for not doing better, probably due to the fact that the firm still hasn’t worked out how to really ramp up revenues.

So, while Q3 is typically a quiet period for consumer firms, Q4 is shaping up to be a litmus test for firms like Apple, Nintendo and Microsoft – new products that will need to succeed (and fast), landing at a time when consumers still seem unwilling to recommence their profligate spending ways.