D emand for Appleis new iPod shuffle is unprecedented, and demand for the Mac mini is strong, according to a Wall Street analyst. In a research note obtained by The Mac Observer, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told clients that he expects Apple to be able to exceed Wall Street expectations for the quarter.
Based on a survey of 20 Apple specialist retailers and 30 Apple-branded Apple Stores, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster found Appleis retail channel to be the more positive than any time in the last three quarters, with 35% of them expecting results better than planned.
Piper Jaffrayis survey found demand for iMac, PowerBook, and Mac mini are all ahead of expectations, but that Power Mac sales continue to lag. Demand for the iPod family remains strong across the board.
The biggest challenge Apple is facing for the iPod shuffle continues to be the ability to make enough to meet demand. Mr. Munster said that supply concerns should ease in the upcoming June quarter.
Mr. Munster is maintaining his price target for Appleis stock at US$50 per share. Apple is currently trading below $41 per share, down more than 4.5% on very heavy volume, on concerns about Sonyis new flash memory-based music players announced earlier on Tuesday.
*In the interest of full disclosure, the author holds a small share in APPL stock that was not an influence in the creation of this article.
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