5. Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Number of Hedge Fund Investors: 150
The Wall Street is running out of patience with Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) amid Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) AI strategy that’s been so far nonexistent and lagging behind competitors. But Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) bulls believe Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) will shine through in the AI race. The market is now awaiting the WWDC event where Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is expected to reveal its AI plans. Dan Ives of Wedbush, one of the biggest Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) bulls, recently said that WWDC is the “most important event for Apple in over a decade as the pressure to bring a generative AI stack of technology for developers and consumers is front and center.”
Ives thinks Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be able to create an ecosystem around its AI offerings and Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) would see a $30 to $40 per share surge because of its AI products. Ives has a $275 price target on Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) shares.
Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is trading at 27x its 2025 EPS estimate, which is still a high multiple given Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) 9.60% growth estimate for 2025 and 10.50% per-annum growth expected over the next five years. But all of this could change if Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is able to pull AI-related catalysts out of its bag. The WWDC event and the new few weeks and months would be critical for Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) growth trajectory.
The first signs of Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) AI capabilities are here. Last month, Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) revealed new M4-powered iPad Pro and claimed that its devices, powered by Neural Engine, will be “more powerful than any neural processing unit in any AI PC today.” Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) Neural Engine is Apple Inc’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) neural processing unit (NPU) that accelerates AI workloads.
Notable Wall Street analyst and Deepwater Asset Management Managing Partner Gene Munster recently made waves when he said in a post on Twitter that Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is a better investment than Nvidia for the long term. Munster believes “owning Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) over the next year will have a higher return” because the market is in denial about Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) AI potential.
RiverPark Large Growth Fund stated the following regarding Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in its first quarter 2024 investor letter:
“Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL): Apple shares were a top detractor in the quarter. The company’s stock was pressured by negative news items including a government antitrust case, an Apple Watch patent dispute, and slowing China iPhone sales. Ultimately the company’s fiscal 1Q24 earnings report delivered a slightly better than expected quarter, but with guidance that disappointed investors. 1Q24 revenue and gross margin were better than feared, buoyed by stronger than expected worldwide iPhone sales which grew 6% despite a slight decline in China iPhone sales. Services revenue in the quarter was as expected and signaled the third quarter in a row of accelerating growth. Gross margins were also stronger than expected at 45.9%, the highest level in more than a decade. Guidance of $90 billion of revenue for 2Q24 was light however, due to weaker than expected iPhone sales in the current period and year-over-year declines in other hardware products facing difficult year-over year comps.
Although near-term trends are a bit muted, Apple is carrying lean inventory into an iPhone refresh cycle later this year. With an installed base of 2.2 billion active devices and significant growth of the company’s recurring revenue Services segment, we believe that Apple remains one of the most innovative, best positioned and most profitable companies in the mobile technology industry.”
