Today: Record quarter for Apple, outlook disappointed | Evonik's good numbers against takeover by BASF

Actually, John Ternus couldn't have wished for a better debut: In his first quarterly report as Apple boss, Tim Cook's successor was able to announce records for sales and profits. In the fourth quarter, which ended at the end of September, Apple's sales rose by twelve percent to $114.5 billion. Analysts had only expected around 113.4 billion. Profit grew 14 percent to $2.10 per share, exceeding forecasts of around $2.

At the same time, expensive memory chips and delivery bottlenecks clouded the outlook. The group only forecast seven to ten percent growth for the Christmas quarter, the most cautious forecast in more than a year. The share lost around three percent after trading. Handelsblatt co-head of the technology team Thomas Jahn explains what investors should know about Apple's situation and Apple's future.

In addition: The Essen-based chemical company Evonik was also able to present good quarterly figures on Tuesday: Adjusted operating profit rose by 40 percent to 629 million euros in the third quarter, and sales rose by 13 percent to 3.8 billion euros.

The presentation of the quarterly figures was also used to send a clear message to competitor BASF, which is interested in a takeover. “We remain fully focused on our strategic direction and our development as an independent company,” said interim CEO Claus Rettig in a conference call with analysts on Tuesday. Handelsblatt industry reporter Isabelle Wermke explains whether the numbers will be enough to keep Evonik independent.