Bank of America announced Thursday that it has raised its recommendation on Apple from 'neutral' to 'buy', with its price target raised from $208 to $225.
In a research note, the broker explains that it expects iPhone sales to be driven by the integration of new artificial intelligence (AI)-related functionalities by 2025 and 2026.
BofA adds that the stock should also benefit from growth in services, as Apple succeeds in better monetizing its large installed base.
In its view, the arrival of AI in the Californian technology group's products could lead institutional investors to strengthen their positions in the stock.
Copyright (c) 2024 CercleFinance.com. All rights reserved. The information and analyses published by Cercle Finance are intended solely as a decision-making aid for investors. Cercle Finance cannot be held responsible, directly or indirectly, for the use of information and analyses by readers. Uninformed investors are advised to consult a professional advisor before investing. This information does not constitute an invitation to sell or a solicitation to buy.
Apple Inc. specializes in the design, manufacture and marketing of computer hardware and music supports. Net sales break down by family of products and services as follows:
- telephone products (50.4%): iPhone brand;
- peripheral devices (8.6%): screens, storage systems, printers, video camera, memory cards, server, switches, etc.;
- computers (8.1%): laptops (MacBook, MacBook Air and MacBook Pro brands) and PCs (iMac, Mac mini, Mac Pro and Xserve);
- music support (6.7%): music readers iPod and iPad and accessories;
- other (26.2%): software, maintenance service and Internet access service, etc.
Net sales are distributed geographically as follows: Americas (42.8%), China/Hong Kong/Taiwan (15.5%), Japan (6.9%), Asia/Pacific (8.1%), and Europe/India/Middle East/Africa (26.7%).
This super rating is the result of a weighted average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Valuation (Composite), EPS Revisions (4 months), and Visibility (Composite). We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Investor
Investor
This super composite rating is the result of a weighted average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Valuation (Composite), EPS Revisions (1 year), and Visibility (Composite). We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Global
Global
This composite rating is the result of an average of the rankings based on the following ratings: Fundamentals (Composite), Valuation (Composite), Financial Estimates Revisions (Composite), Consensus (Composite) and Visibility (Composite). The company must be covered by at least 4 of these 5 ratings for the calculation to be carried out. We recommend that you carefully review the associated descriptions.
Quality
Quality
This composite rating is the result of an average of rankings based on the following ratings: Returns (Composite), Profitability (Composite) and Quality of Financial Reporting (Composite), and Financial Health (Composite). The company must be covered by at least 2 of these 3 ratings for the calculation to be performed. We recommend that you carefully read the associated descriptions.
ESG MSCI
ESG MSCI
The MSCI ESG score assesses a company’s environmental, social, and governance practices relative to its industry peers. Companies are rated from CCC (laggard) to AAA (leader). This rating helps investors incorporate sustainability risks and opportunities into their investment decisions.
