Apple Inc. – Great earnings shadowed by rising memory cost

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Positives
+ Strong iPhone 17 and MacBook momentum expected to carry into next quarter. 2Q26
revenue grew 17% YoY, driven by iPhone (+22% YoY) and Mac (+6% YoY). The strong demand
is supported by a robust iPhone 17 upgrade cycle (high customer satisfaction, new features,
and Apple Intelligence integration) and by MacBook Neo’s attractive pricing, which is driving
new user adoption. Both product lines are currently supply-constrained. iPhone is impacted
by tight advanced-node (3nm-class) SoC capacity (expected to ease in 3Q26), while Mac
constraints are likely to persist for several months. Management guided 3Q26e revenue
growth of 14–17% YoY.
+ Continued shareholder returns support valuation and capital discipline. AAPL announced
an additional US$100bn share repurchase authorization and a 4% dividend increase,
reinforcing its commitment to returning excess cash. This signals confidence in the durability
of cash flows and provides valuation support and downside protection, particularly in a period
of rising costs and elevated investment. Importantly, it also reflects Apple’s disciplined capital
allocation, balancing ongoing reinvestment in AI and product development with consistent
shareholder returns.

Apple Inc. – Booming iPhone 17 VS soaring memory costs

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Positives
+ Strong iPhone 17 cycle continues. AAPL delivered a record quarter, with total revenue of
US$143.8bn (+16% YoY), driven by iPhone revenue of US$85.3bn (+23% YoY), an all-time high
for the product. Demand remains strong, leaving AAPL with very lean channel inventory and
a constrained supply (mainly due to constrained advanced-node (3nm-class) SoC capacity).
The strength of the cycle is broad-based, supported by record upgraders across geographies
and double-digit growth in switchers. AAPL expects iPhone-led momentum to continue and
guided 2Q26E revenue growth of 13–16% YoY. We see the iPhone 17 cycle as durable. The
upcoming Siri rollout (supported by AAPL’s collaboration with Google Gemini) will further
reinforce the upgrade narrative and provide additional upside. We forecast iPhone sales +14%
YoY in FY26.
+ China market rebound a pleasant surprise. China revenue +37.9% YoY, marking a sharp
rebound after four years of flat to negative growth. The iPhone 17 lineup has resonated
strongly with Chinese consumers, evidenced by double-digit growth in in-store traffic and
robust upgrader and switcher activity. Notably, this strength was achieved despite the later
release of the iPhone 17 Air, and Apple Intelligence not yet being available in the Chinese
market. iPhone ranked among the top three smartphones in China during the quarter. Given
that China contributes ~18% of AAPL’s total revenue, a rebound in the region represents a
meaningful upside for AAPL.

Apple Inc.-Strong outlook, yet no real game changer

 

Apple Inc.- Thin on design, thinner on investor sentiment

Apple hosted its “Awe-Dropping” launch event on 9 September, unveiling the iPhone 17 line up, including the ultra-thin iPhone Air (5.6 mm vs normal iPhone 16 7.8mm and 16 Pro 8.3mm)

 

Apple Inc.- Good results, but still cautious

 

Apple Inc. – AI is playing catch-up at WWDC

Apple held its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on 10 June, during which it unveiled a redesign across its platforms and updates to iOS 26, iPadOS 26, watchOS 26, macOS 26 (Tahoe), and visionOS 26.

Apple Inc.- Tariff troubles and growth struggles

Apple Inc. – All according to plan

·1Q25 results were within our expectations. 1Q25 revenue/PATMI were at 29%/32% of our FY25e forecasts. Revenue grew 4% YoY, mainly driven by growth in Services (+14% YoY) and gross margin expanded 1% YoY. 

· iPhone sales dropped 0.8% YoY, with regional strength offset by continued weakness in the China market (-11.0% YoY). 

· Our FY25e forecast remains unchanged. Our DCF target price remains at US$235, with a WACC of 6.5% and a terminal growth rate of 3%. Due to recent price performance, we downgrade our recommendation from ACCUMULATE to NEUTRAL. iPhone sales have not yet seen a spike, due to the very gradual and limited rollout of the regions and features. We expect it to be backloaded in 2H25 and FY26, especially after more regions and features are made available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apple Inc. – iPhone strength with Apple Intelligence rollout

·   4Q24 revenue was within our expectations, while PATMI missed due to a one-time income tax expense of US$10.2bn to the Irish government. FY24 revenue/PATMI were at 97%/92% of our FY24e forecasts. iPhone growth of 6% YoY and Services growth of 12% YoY were the standout. 

·   The iPhone 16 series is benefiting from growing interest in Apple Intelligence, which began a gradual rollout this Oct. Sales increased across all regions except China, where local competition continues to weigh on performance. iPad/Mac/Wearables remain muted, with ongoing weakness expected into 1Q25e.

·    Our FY25e forecast remains unchanged. We roll over another year of valuations and upgrade our recommendation from NEUTRAL to ACCUMULATE with a raised DCF target price of US$235 (prev. US$215), with a WACC of 6.5% and a terminal growth rate of 3%. The gradual rollout of Apple Intelligence may take time, but we are confident it will positively impact the iPhone replacement cycle in FY25 and FY26.

 

Apple Inc. – Supercycle unlikely in 2024

 

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