Wedbush energized by Apple keynote...

Wedbush has confirmed its "outperform" rating on Apple shares, along with its $400 target price, following the tech giant's keynote at its annual WWDC in Cupertino, California. The broker described the presentation as an "impressive event that delivered on all fronts."

"The company showcased the latest updates across its hardware and software suites, focusing on three core pillars: platform enhancement, strengthening trust and security, and upgrading Apple Intelligence and Siri functionalities," the broker noted.

Wedbush views this WWDC as "the beginning of a profound transformation of Apple's consumer AI platform," suggesting that Tim Cook has finally unveiled a strategy to fully monetize AI within the Apple ecosystem after years of anticipation.

"Apple is working to fulfill the promises made two years ago with a more robust AI strategy and the announcement of Siri AI, which we believe will revolutionize how 2.5 billion iOS users interact with their devices in the AI era," the broker added.

...but Jefferies and Needham are more tepid

While yesterday's presentation sparked enthusiasm at Wedbush, Jefferies and Needham were more skeptical, both maintaining their "hold" ratings. Jefferies sticks to a target price that is slightly below $300.

According to Jefferies, the Cupertino-based company's primary aim is to integrate AI across all traditional features and devices, while overhauling Siri "to make it smarter by leveraging as much on-device data as possible."

"However, the lack of access to popular third-party app data remains a major limiting factor for its AI's intelligence. We also view the supply chain as a significant new challenge given the heavy demand from hyperscalers," the company warned.

"Although the bulk of the WWDC keynote focused on AI, Apple failed to address how AI might drive revenue growth, cost savings, and/or EPS growth," Needham pointed out.

"The most critical question regarding AI valuation, in our view, is the distinction between AI value creation and AI value capture. Apple did nothing to suggest it could raise prices for its AI tools and capabilities, or achieve cost efficiencies through AI," it concluded.