Apple made record profits and record revenues in the last three months as shoppers bought more iPhones and iPads than analysts predicted.
The company said that in the quarter to 25 December net profit was $6bn (£3.7bn) on revenues of $26.74bn.
Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, said in a statement: "We had a phenomenal holiday quarter".
There was no mention of his health problems, but the subject may come up during a media conference call later.
Mr Jobs announced on Monday that he is taking indefinite medical leave. On Tuesday shares in the company fell as much as 6%, though they recovered to close 2.2% down.
While Mr Jobs is continuing as chief executive and will be involved in any major decisions, day-to-day running has passed to Tim Cook.
The news came on Monday, a US public holiday, when markets were closed. BBC News
