Apple faces longest streak of sales slowdown in 2 decades as iPhone slumps

Apple Inc. posted its third straight quarter of declining sales and predicted a similar performance in the current period, hurt by an industrywide slump that has sapped demand for phones, computers and tablets.

After the company reported a revenue decline of 1.4% in the fiscal third quarter, Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri said on a conference call that Apple’s performance would be similar this period. An additional drop would mark the longest streak of declines in two decades — a startling slowdown for the world’s most valuable company.