Shares of Apple Inc. saw an uptick following an upgrade by Jefferies just ahead of the holiday weekend, though analysts on “Fast Money” suggest there’s little excitement around the stock’s prospects. Dan Nathan, principal at RiskReversal Advisors, expressed concern during Wednesday’s broadcast, stating, “The back half of the year for a company like Apple is going to be a problem. They still don’t have an [artificial intelligence] strategy, which signals that a product that has not been growing for the last three years won’t see growth this time either. They are on track to miss an entire year of a product cycle.”
Jefferies took action on Tuesday, raising its rating on Apple from “sell” to “hold” and adjusting its price target upwards from $171 to $188 per share. This revision was attributed to increased demand tempered by tariff-related uncertainties. The firm has also forecasted a strong performance for the upcoming June quarter. As per FactSet data available at Thursday’s market close, only three ratings for Apple on Wall Street remain classified as “sell.”
Echoing concerns, “Fast Money” trader Karen Finerman categorized Apple as her “least favorite” among the so-called “Magnificent Seven” stocks, which also include Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Tesla. Finerman highlighted the challenges in Apple’s supply chain as particularly acute, indicating that the company finds itself “in the crosshairs” of ongoing supply chain complications affecting the group.
On another note, Tim Seymour commented that much of the negative sentiment regarding China and tariffs appears to have already been factored into Apple’s stock price. Nevertheless, as chief investment officer at Seymour Asset Management, he pointed out that Apple’s valuation multiples present a significant hurdle. “That should be enough for most people,” Seymour remarked, while maintaining a cautiously optimistic outlook on the company’s future.
During the shortened trading week due to the holiday, Apple’s shares increased by 6%. However, when compared to the Magnificent Seven index, Apple remains in the red for the year, down about 15% compared to an approximate 3% increase for the index as a whole. The tech giant is scheduled to release its fiscal third-quarter earnings on July 31.
