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Wall Street’s iPhone 12 5G Buzz Has Citi Calling a $400 Apple Share

Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:00 PM
David Haggith
Last Updated September 23, 2020 2:00 PM
  • Citi raised Apple share price target to $400, due mostly to the upcoming 5G iPhone 12 release.
  • Apple had been pegged for $400 before the impending iPhone 12, but that was also before the pandemic.
  • Economic reopenings, the new iPhone, and diminished competition from Huawei have Apple’s price target.

It’s one of the most prominent calls on Wall Street today. Citi has raised its price targets for Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) from $310 per share to $400 due to Apple’s soon-to-be-announced 5G iPhone 12.

Citi expects Apple to host a press event in September  to announce new 5G iPhones, but with later delivery than first anticipated due to the pandemic.

In an investor note, Citi said:

COVID-19 … temporarily slowed R&D and testing and created supplychain challenges … but we still expect them to be available in plenty of time for the Christmas holiday season.

Five reasons Citi gave for the Apple stock price target increase are :

  • Upcoming 5G iPhone launch.
  • Current expectations were set lower.
  • Share gains due to Huawei North America sales restrictions, which could boost Apple sales by $5 billion.
  • Apple’s wearables still have high-growth potential and are about 10% of company-wide revenue.
  • Apple Services continues to accelerate, especially via its App Store.

Apple iPhone 12 To Lead 5G

Back in January, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said 2019 was just the beginning of a “transformational 5G super cycle .”

Based on that, Ives called:

… a “bull case” of $400 for Apple’s stock by year-end, a nearly 35% climb from here.

The bull case faltered in May  due to government lockdown orders, but reopening brings hope of a return.

In April, Wedbush lifted Apple to a $400 price target due to the 5G tailwinds. The firm dropped the target the following month, calling out the potential coronavirus impact.

That was pre-iPhone 12. The new Apple iPhone 12 plus reopening amplifies that hope again.

Consumer interest in Apple’s upcoming smartphone continues to soar. Apple will be riding the front of that 5G wave if its iPhone 12 makes it out in time for Christmas.

President Trump also began pushing a $1 trillion stimulus package this week that includes infrastructure upgrades for 5G across the nation. It looks like the timing is right for Apple.

iphone 12 tweet
The new Apple iPhone 12 is rumored to have squared edges. | Source: Twitter 

3 Wall Street Analysts Recently Boosted Apple Price Targets

In the final week of May, a group of Wall Street analysts raised Apple’s price target  due to increased iPhone demand and services plus new store openings.

Jefferies … raised its price target for Apple to $370 from $350…. The tech stock has outperformed the broader market this year… Wall Street as a whole is largely bullish on the Cupertino-based company led by CEO Tim Cook.

 


Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of CCN.com and should not be considered investment or trading advice from CCN.com.