Apple Guidance Will Change Moving Forward, Says CFO Oppenheimer

In the past, Apple has provided a single point, (one revenue figure, for example), the company expects to hit over the coarse of the upcoming quarter. Apple is notorious for releasing conservative numbers then blowing them away when it reports earnings a few months later.

Now, things will change. Instead of offering a single point, Apple will begin offering a range.

Peter Oppenheimer explained the change on the Apple's Q1 2013 earnings call, which is going on right now:

"In the past we provided a single point estimate that was conservative. This quarter and going forward, we are going to provide a range of guidance that we're likely to report within."

An analyst on the call asked for further clarification. Oppenheimer reiterated:

"In the past we gave you a single point estimate of guidance that was conservative that we would achieve. We're now providing you a range of guidance that we expect to report within."

He didn't specifically say why Apple is changing the way it gives guidance.