Analysts upgrade AAPL on holiday Mac sales
updated 02:10 pm EST, Thu December 6, 2007
Huge Mac holiday
Users are becoming more comfortable with the idea of adopting the Mac platform, according to several analysts -- a fact that should drive a huge Holiday season in terms of Mac unit sales. Forbes reports that RBC analyst Mike Abramsky upped his price target of Apple shares to $215.00 from $205.00 on Thursday. He maintained his "outperform" rating on the stock. Bear Sterns analyst Andrew Neff also upped his price target on Apple stock: to $249 from $243 and maintained an "outperform" rating. Both analysts expect "massive" holiday Mac sales.
Abramsky expects Mac shipments to jump 47% year-over-year during the company's holiday season quarter. Drivers include the release of Leopard, prompting upgrades, the popularity of the new iMac line, and the so-called "halo effect" generated by the iPhone and iPod. Neff, meanwhile, sees the new iMacs, competitive pricing and expanding distribution as the primary drivers.
Not all analysts are so gung ho, however. According to Steve Hach, a senior analyst at forecaster ValuEngine, Apple's share price does not accurately represent the company's stature in the financial world. In a perfect world, our computer model would set Apple's stock at about $135," says Hach. "Apple is far more overvalued than Google, Intel, or Microsoft."
Competitors will not be the only thing Apple is up against, with both technological and legal hurdles ahead of them still. Apple is relying on the iPhone's success in Europe, but may run into problems as competitors eager to supplant the iPhone introduce similar products that are not bound to a particular service provider, and with 3G connectivity.











And to think
12/06, 03:08pm reply
A few years ago it was the polar opposite. I guess all the analysts started with iPods and eventually adopted iMacs.
Add on top of that the poor acceptance of VISTA and you have a sure fire winner.
ahh the irony.....
"Don't ask what VISTA can do for you! Ask what you can buy for VISTA!"
Pennywigeon
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Oct 2007
"Computer model"
12/06, 04:36pm reply
our computer model would set Apple's stock at about $135," says Hach. His computer "model"'s gotta be Dell runnin Vista.
igroucho
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Nov 2005
Re" computer model"
12/06, 07:17pm reply
He did say "in a perfect world". In a perfect world, stocks would actually be priced on their true value, not the whims of the buying/selling public, brokers, power brokers, money managers, and the lemmings who listen to 'analysts' and their biased views.
Then again, without analysts, MacNN would face a serious decline in 'news' articles.
testudo
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Aug 2001
Perfect world
12/06, 10:25pm reply
In a perfect world the analyst that told his clients to sell at $125 a few months back would not look like such idiots now if the stock were at $110.
btw genius - computer models don't work
ClevelandAdv
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Joined: Jul 2004
re" computer model"
12/06, 10:27pm reply
Thanks for your insightful analysis there, Testudo and thank goodness you aren't spouting biased views like those other analysts.
trevj
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 1999