Are BP, Chevron and Exxon Mobil Hurting Apple's Sales?

Global Equities Research has the answer. While no one can say for certain that Chevron Corp. CVX, Exxon Mobil XOM, or BP BP personally hurt Apple's AAPL sales this summer, it seems as if the high price of gas could be responsible for Mac's decline. That's according to Global Equities Research, which released a report today focusing on the Mac line of computers. According to the report, sales have been slow since the fourth week of July. “Higher gasoline prices have probably now made consumers more price sensitive,” Global Equities Research writes. “[The] August 13th weekend was probably one of the slowest weekends for Mac sales in CY2011.” With slowing back-to-school sales, Global Equities Research recommends that Apple:

• “Extend the Back-to-School promotion from September 20, 2011 by 10 days to September 30, 2011. This will give enough time for [parents] who want to use [their] next paycheck to buy [a] Mac for their children.”
• “Increase the App Store cash back from $100 to $125.”
• “Offer Apple Protection plan through App Stores so that parents can use the App Store cash back to purchase the protection plan.”

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