Apple's balance sheet and lack of spend keep a bid under its stock whether the market rises or falls. That bid gets stronger with foldable phones that break. x.comÂ
David Prince
US Equity/Options Fund Manager, Mentor at T3 Live
Apple will likely report its biggest sales ever in Q4 earnings and the stock should rip, even though the new foldable iPhone looks absolutely gross. x.comÂ
Apple is a buy now on a strong holiday quarter ahead, its trusted brand and deep ecosystem integration, momentum from the foldable iPhone and an underrated future AI opportunity. x.comÂ
Apple's growth valuation gives too much credit to a $2,000 folding iPhone and a touchscreen MacBook. Its 36.16 forward P/E and 3.54 PEG are higher than recent readings over the past two years, making this a point to take serious profits. x.comÂ
Apple is a safe haven amid AI-stock volatility and will gain momentum if it persists over the next two weeks through the midterms. New products and another defensive day bring a momentum push toward $358, then $367 in November closer. x.comÂ
Apple's Duo could spur a bigger upgrade cycle because its foldable form factor gives users a new reason to buy. It reportedly sold out within minutes, but Foxconn's roughly 60% assembly yield may exaggerate demand; sustained lead times as yields improve could support 2027 revenue. Early costs may pressure margins and local AI monetization remains unproven. Premium hardware and local AI could make Apple the world's most valuable company again. x.comÂ
Apple is a sell here because buybacks are replacing innovation while its share price is dangerously extended. It is not spending on AI, in cloud services, making robots or pursuing global WiFi; its VR, Siri chatbot and iCar efforts have failed. Its flip phone follows Samsung's, and AirPods have poor battery life and microphones. The share price has held up, but only for now. x.comÂ
Apple has the most predictable cash flows, including future cash flows, and that dependability appears to be what investors reward. Its P/E is about 40 versus 27 for Nvidia, 22 for Meta and 16 for Alphabet; Meta's free cash flow has turned negative. Leveraged build-out companies have been hit hardest while Apple has outperformed, but Apple investors could be wrong and the point at which its premium becomes too high remains open. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Apple's new foldable iPhone Duo could sell strongly. It is the biggest form change to the iPhone ever, launched under a new CEO, and Apple buyers who want a foldable to do serious work such as AI tasks are price insensitive. The market initially faded the launch before reversing; it would have been better positioned as a productivity device with keyboard compatibility. x.com x.com x.comÂ
Apple's weak Mac and iPhone demand and soaring costs threaten worse Q3 results and Q4 guidance than its weak Q2. IDC estimates Mac sales fell 11% y/y in Q3 after rising 13% in Q2. Counterpoint says Pro sales rose just 3% in the first three weeks while overall iPhone sales fell; lower-end models are absent this year. Foldable yields are reportedly 60%, and $100 price hikes may not offset costs. At $5 trillion, 39 P/E and 11 times sales, Apple's crowded 'safe haven' looks vulnerable. x.comÂ
Apple is the cheapest optionality in the Magnificent Seven because it rents AI compute instead of building it. Per Goldman, six hyperscalers need about $1.42T of cumulative revenue by 2030 to earn 15% on 2026-27 capex, while Apple spends under $15B a year on capex and about $1B on Gemini licensing. If Jefferies' Chris Wood is right about a capex reset, Apple wins on the rerate; if the buildout keeps working, the builders close the gap. At 39x trailing, the iPhone 18 cycle must deliver. x.comÂ