AAPL

AAPL investors can still expect an upside when during Apple’s forthcoming earnings call thanks to Mac and services. That’s according to J.P Morgan analyst Samik Chatterjee in a note seen by AppleInsider.

Lead analyst Samik Chatterjee writes that the setup heading into Q1 2021 earnings is “dramatically different than the last one,” since the focus on near-term earnings drivers has moderated after the busy holiday season. Specifically, iPhone builds are slowing down, led primarily by softening smartphone shipments in China and slowing momentum of 5G-equipped iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Pro sales. Relative to sell-side consensus, Chatterjee believes investors are primed for softer results. However, the analyst still expects modest upside to investor expectations. He cites strong growth in Services and the current momentum in Mac and iPad shipments as the primary driver, despite concerns that work from home trends will wear off. JP Morgan is tracking iPhone revenue in line with expectations.

Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty has lowered her target price for AAPL. However, according to a note seen be Apple 3.0, she did forecast that Apple Services revenue growth will increase by 6 points during 2021.

From a note to Morgan Stanley’s clients that landed on my desktop Tuesday: “Services strength drives estimates higher but peer multiple compression drives PT lower to $155 (from $164). Following strong March quarter App Store results and an analysis of the key drivers of Apple’s Licensing & Other segment, we raise our already above-street FY21 and FY22 Services revenue estimates by 3% and 5% respectively, and are increasingly convinced that consensus Services forecasts over the next 2+ years are too low. We now forecast Apple Services revenue growth accelerates by 6 points to +22% Y/Y in FY21, up from +19% Y/Y previously, nearly 4 points ahead of FY21 consensus Services growth of +18% Y/Y.”

There’s been much talk in recent days, as Apple’s market cap has slipped at points to sit below the US$2 trillion mark. Cult of Mac shared a timely reminder of when AAPL first overtook Walmart stock.

At the time, AAPL was trading at $226 per share. Today, it trades at $275.43. If that doesn’t seem much of an increase, bear in mind that a 7-to-1 stock split took place in 2014 after AAPL peaked at $645. If that split hadn’t happened, Apple would now be trading at approximately $1,925. It didn’t take Apple long to catch up to market leaders ExxonMobil and Microsoft, either. In May 2010, Apple overtook Microsoft, surpassing the tech giant that dominated Cupertino during the previous decade. A little over a year after that, on August 9, 2011, Apple blew past oil giant ExxonMobil to become the world’s most valuable company. In all, it was an astonishing turnaround for a company that came perilously close to going out of business during the 1990s.