We recently compiled a list of the 10 Best Internet of Things (IoT) Stocks to Buy. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) stands against the other IoT stocks.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a vast network connecting physical objects to the internet. Industries are embracing IoT technologies for applications like smart manufacturing and supply chain management. Enterprise IoT spending is expected to slow down in the second half of this year due to economic concerns which will affect corporate spending in general. However, corporate spending on IoT will rebound in 2025. The global market for IoT is expected to grow at a rate of 24.3% annually between 2024 and 2032. In 2032, it is expected to reach a value of $4,062.34 billion.

The rise of smart homes, buildings, and manufacturing, along with advancements in smart infrastructure, is driving significant growth in the IoT market. Moreover, smart city initiatives are becoming increasingly prevalent due to the growing population and expansion of cities. Consumers are adopting smart city solutions, including smart utility meters, transportation, waste management, grids, and air quality controllers.

IoT adoption is also growing rapidly in other sectors, particularly healthcare. The global IoT in healthcare market is projected to expand significantly and reach $952.3 billion by 2032, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18%. IoT is a major force behind healthcare’s digital transformation, revolutionizing the way medical data is collected, analyzed, and used. This is leading to better patient care, greater operational efficiencies, and innovative treatments.

IoT is also seeing increased adoption in warehouse management. The global IoT warehouse management market is projected to grow from $14.8 billion in 2023 to $57.2 billion by 2033, reflecting a CAGR of 14.5% over the next decade. This growth is driven by the need for better inventory management, increased automation, and improved operational efficiency in logistics and supply chain operations.

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In terms of market segmentation by technologies, WiFi, Bluetooth, and cellular IoT make up 80% of the global IoT market. Wi-Fi accounts for 31% of all IoT connections. On the other hand, Bluetooth is used by 25% of connected IoT devices, and cellular IoT, including 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE-M, and NB-IoT, accounts for nearly 21% of global IoT connections.

A key trend in the IoT market for 2024 is the integration of AI technologies, including generative AI and edge AI, into IoT devices. Edge AI, in particular, is transforming the IoT landscape. By allowing IoT devices to process and store data locally, edge AI reduces lag and allows real-time responses. Incorporating AI into IoT devices within industries offers numerous benefits, including improved operational efficiency, safety, and decision-making. It plays an important role in predictive maintenance and supply chain management.

The future of IoT looks promising. Businesses and investors can expect significant returns as the technology continues to evolve. Keeping this context in mind, let’s take a look at the best IoT stocks to buy now.

Our Methodology

To create our list of the 10 best IoT stocks to buy, we focused on companies that offer IoT solutions or products, including firms involved in manufacturing IoT devices and hardware. The companies have been shortlisted based on hedge fund sentiment, sourced from our database of over 900 hedge funds. The best IoT stocks have been ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding a stake in them as of Q2 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 184

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is a tech giant renowned for its innovative products. The iPhone, a well-known product by Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), has been central to the company’s IoT strategy.

At the Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shared exciting updates, including Apple Intelligence. This feature builds on years of AI and machine learning innovation and offers writing tools for self-expression, an image playground for creative image generation, and powerful tools for summarizing notifications.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reported a new record for June quarter revenue, reaching $85.8 billion, a 5% increase compared to the previous year. Furthermore, earnings per share grew by double digits to $1.40. The company also achieved quarterly revenue records in over two dozen countries and regions, including Canada, France, Mexico, Germany, India, the UK, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Moreover, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) set an all-time revenue record in services, which grew by 14%.

Due to its financial strength, strong brand image, and product diversification, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has received an average rating of “Moderate Buy.”

Here’s what Baron Funds said about Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) in its Q2 2024 investor letter:

“Recent Activity This quarter we re-initiated a position in Apple Inc., a leading technology company known for its innovative consumer electronics products like the iPhone, MacBook, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple is a leader across its categories and geographies, with a growing installed base that now exceeds 2 billion devices globally. The company’s attached services – including the App Store, iCloud, Apple TV+, Apple Music, and Apple Pay – provide a higher margin, recurring revenue stream that both enhances the value proposition for its hardware products and improves the financial profile. Apple now has well over 1 billion subscribers paying for these services, more than double the number it had just 4 years ago. The increasing services mix has led to healthy operating margin improvement, providing more free cash flow for Apple to reinvest in the business and to distribute to shareholders. Throughout its 48-year history, Apple has successfully navigated and capitalized on major technological shis, from PCs to mobile to cloud computing. We believe the company’s leading brand and device ecosystem position it to do equally well in the AI age, and this was the driver of our decision to re-invest. “Apple Intelligence” – the AI strategy unveiled at Apple’s recent Worldwide Developer Conference – leverages on- device AI and integrations with tools like ChatGPT to enhance user experiences across its ecosystem. The AI suite enables users to create new images, summarize and generate text, and use Siri to perform actions across their mobile applications, all while maintaining user privacy and security. We think Apple Intelligence can drive accelerated product upgrade cycles and higher demand for Apple services. The combination of growth re-acceleration, increasing services contribution, and thoughtful capital allocation should continue driving long-term shareholder value.”

Overall AAPL ranks 5th on our list of the best IoT stocks to buy. While we acknowledge the potential of AAPL as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than AAPL but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.