Apple Stock News: Apple Is Offering $29 Battery Replacement After Slowing Down Oldest IPhones

December 31, 2017

Apple Stock News

After facing a few lawsuits for slowing down oldest versions of iPhones, Apple is offering cheaper battery replacements for a year. The price of batteries for the affected iPhones was reduced from $79 to $29.

Moreover, Apple also published a letter of apologize for their customers. According to this letter, everything was a misunderstanding. On the message, Apple stated that it never had the intention to shorten the life of any Apple product, or degrade the user experience to drive customer upgrades.

Furthermore, Apple will issue an iOS software update in early 2018 with new features that give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery.

The $50 discount on battery replacements is already available for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone SE.

On September 8th, 2017, I Know First sent to subscribers a bullish forecast for AAPL. Since then, Apple Stock increased 4.94% in accordance with the forecast.

Current I Know First subscribers received this AAPL forecast on September 8th, 2017. 

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $169.23 per share on December 29th, 2017. It generated losses of 1.08% from its previous close on December 28th, 2017, when it closed at $171.08 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple’s AI Respects User Privacy

December 29, 2017

Apple Stock News

During this past year, Apple has been sending a message that AI, or Artificial Intelligence, is the future and that Apple will be a part of that future.  Apple’s AI is already visible with Siri, the voice assistant, but that is only a small part of Apple’s AI.  What Apple excels at is “offline AI.”  Due to Apple’s emphasis on user privacy, the company has focused on “on-device computing” which has the AI capabilities on the device itself and not on the cloud, allowing it to use AI offline.  This differs from Google, Amazon, and Microsoft with their use of the more prevalent “online AI.”  With online AI, user data is aggregated in the cloud which has led to AI systems that learn quickly as a result of the steady inflow of new data.  Apple’s offline AI uses a technique called differential privacy which is capable of identifying trends without transmitting personal data.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone X both employ this offline AI technology with the help of Apple’s A11 Bionic Chip with its own built-in neural engine which Apple described as “the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone.”  The chip was designed specifically for machine learning AI algorithms.  After Apple’s release of the Core ML iOS 11 software update, even developers now have access to the A11 chip for certain AI applications which they can integrate into their apps without the data ever leaving the phone.  As data and privacy rights become increasingly important globally, it is reassuring to know that Apple is on the side of user privacy.

Currently, Apple is still primarily a maker of premium hardware with a focus on customer experience, but their AI technology could expand their reach in so many ways.  For example, their AI could be used to help diagnose complex health problems before the user is even aware that they’re at risk.  Wearables such as the Apple Watch would help to gather this data and analyze it for patterns.  Apple’s AI will also be employed in software for self-driving cars as well as in augmented-reality applications.

In Other News

Apple devices accounted for 44% of smartphone and tablet activations globally during the holiday season with the leading Apple devices being the iPhone 7, iPhone 6, and iPhone X.

It is also being reported that Apple is in licensing discussions with Riyadh on investing in Saudi Arabia.  Apple currently sells its products via third parties, but they yet to establish a direct presence.  About 70% of the Saudi population is under 30 and they are heavy users of smartphones and social media.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $171.08 per share on December 28th, 2017. It increased 0.28% from its previous close on December 27th, 2017, when it closed at $170.60 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple Is Facing Lawsuit For Causing IPhone Slow Down

December 26, 2017

Apple Stock News

Apple is being sued after causing iPhone slow down. Class action lawsuits were filed in United States (New York, California and Illinois) and Israel. The Israeli class action filed in Tel Aviv is charging the tech giant $125 million. In United States the amount in controversy exceeds $5 million.

Apple is being accused of not disclosing that software updates would slow the performance of the older iPhone models. Claimers are stating that the degrading in the performance was done without their consent. Moreover, they also believe that this action was taken to force users to upgrade to newer iPhone devices.

AAPL admitted slowing the performance of old iPhone versions. The company declared that this measure was taken in order to protect and prolong battery life of these devices and in any way to force customers to buy new iPhone models.

Apple stated “Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices.”

According to owners of old iPhone models, they never had the option to choose whether they would like to have their devices slowed down or risk damaging their batteries.

On March 9th, 2017, I Know First has sent to subscribers a bullish forecast for AAPL. Since then, Apple Stock increased 25.91% in accordance with the forecast.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $175.01 per share on December 22nd, 2017. It did not generate any profits or losses from its previous close on December 21st, 2017, when it also closed at $175.01 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Tax Reform Bill a Mixed Bag for Apple

December 24, 2017

Apple Stock News

The good news from the tax reform bill is that Apple’s corporate tax rate will decline by 40%, from the current 35% to 21%.  But that’s not all.  The bill would create a cash repatriation holiday where companies would pay a one-time tax of 15.5% on the overseas cash they bring back to the U.S.  After the repatriation holiday is over, companies would pay at least 10.5% on repatriated cash, but would be able to deduct foreign taxes already paid on the income.  This would effectively lower the repatriation rate to zero in the future.  Apple holds more than $250B in foreign subsidiaries.  It is believed that Apple will repatriate anywhere from half to nearly all of its overseas cash.  Apple would likely use the repatriated cash to pay down its $97B in long term debt as well as to fund stock buybacks and dividends.

Now for the bad news.  There is a key provision in the bill that affects Apple’s decades long practice of holding IP in foreign subsidiaries.  This practice has allowed Apple to significantly reduce its overall tax rate.  What happens is Apple attributes a large portion of the value of its products to IP such as patents and trademarks.  This IP is then left in countries with low tax rates such as Ireland.  The foreign subsidiaries holding the IP then receive substantial patent royalties and licensing fees based on all of Apple’s sales.  These fees and royalties are then taxed at a very low rate.

The key provision in the new tax bill creates a minimum tax of 13% on foreign patent income while creating a tax break on domestic patent income from 21% to 13.1%.  It is meant to discourage companies from holding their patents overseas as the tax benefit is basically eliminated.  The problem is the bill doesn’t include a way for companies to bring back foreign-held patents to the U.S. without being taxed.  However, the truly bad news for Apple is that there’s a very good chance that the 13% tax rate is still notably higher than Apple’s non-U.S. tax rate which could mean Apple’s taxes might actually increase.

In Other News

Apple is reportedly working on a smartwatch heart-monitoring feature.  It is part of Apple’s strategy to turn the Apple Watch into a medical device.  The tech giant also filed a patent for a self-driving navigation system that would anticipate routes via sensors and processors in the vehicle rather than rely on static information like maps.  Health technology and self-driving technology are two potentially huge markets that could help drive Apple’s growth in the future.

Apple acquired popular music discovery app Shazam for an estimated $400M.  Apple will possibly want to integrate the software into Apple Music as well as the HomePod.  Shazam also has Augmented Reality services, an area that Apple is growing in.

Lastly, iPhone owners from multiple states have brought a suit against Apple for not disclosing sooner that it issued software updates deliberately slowing older model phones so aging batteries could last longer.  The silence on Apple’s part led these owners to mistakenly believe that their only option was to buy a newer and more expensive iPhone.  Instead, it is now known that they could have just replaced their batteries to speed up the phones.  The suit alleges that Apple violated consumer fraud laws.  The lawsuit seeks class-action status to represent the thousands of iPhone users across the U.S.  The phones involved are the iPhone 6s, iPhone SE, and the iPhone 7.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $175.01 per share on December 22nd, 2017. It had no change from its previous close on December 21st, 2017, when it closed at $175.01 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple Finally Caught Up With IPhone X Demand

December 19, 2017

Apple Stock News

Apple has finally caught up with the iPhone X demand. The phone, which faced shipment issues on its debut due to supply chain constraints, can now be acquired in only one day after ordering. The next-day delivery option is available in the United States, the United Kingdom and a few other countries.

With this balance between supply and demand, which does not mean weak demand, but rather better-than-expected production, Apple is expecting to break records on revenue and profitability. The company is expecting to sell 83 million units this holiday season, an increase of 5 million units from the previous record. Although this optimism released on Apple’s first-quarter guidance, we will have to wait to discover these numbers.

On September 8th, 2017, I Know First forecasted that Apple’s iPhone X would find many eager buyers, despite its high price. As expected, the new iPhone indeed met a strong demand and its production was increased. Since this bullish forecast that was sent to I Know First customers, Apple stock increased 9.4%.

Whilst the iPhone X is truly in stock, Apple’s AirPods are sold out online. Frustrating last-minute holiday shoppers, the AirPods will only be available in the first two weeks of January. According to Tim Cook, despite Apple’s increased production capacity of the AirPods, the company is still not able to meet the strong level of demand.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $176.42 per share on December 18th, 2017. It generated profits of 1.40% from its previous close on December 17th, 2017, when it closed at $173.97 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: The Race to be the First Trillion Dollar Company May Depend on China

December 7, 2017

Apple Stock News

The race to get the title of first trillion dollar market cap is getting closer to the finish line.  Apple is sitting pretty with an $868B market cap.  Alphabet Inc. (Google) is in second place at $712B.  Amazon is in third at $556B.  Facebook is in fourth at $512B.  But Apple hasn’t always been in the lead.  It was temporarily overtaken by Alphabet Inc. in 2016.

What makes Apple the favorite in this horserace?  It’s not valuation.  Since Apple’s biggest driver is the iPhone, they are priced more like a hardware company.  That’s why Apple’s PE is 18 whereas Alphabet’s is 37, Amazon’s is 294, and Facebook’s is 34.  Although, Apple is investing heavily in its high growth Services business which could help to increase Apple’s P/E multiple in the future.

The main reason Apple is in first place is the tech giant generates so much darn profit.  They earn the vast majority of the profits of the entire smartphone space.  One significant differentiating factor that has helped them do this is their success in China.  Out of the four tech behemoths mentioned above, Apple is the only one that has truly flourished in the People’s Republic.  China is too big to ignore with 20% of the globe’s population.  In Apple’s 2017 fiscal year, they generated $44.8B in revenue from Greater China.  Even though that number decreased 8% YoY, it still amounted to 20% of Apple’s total revenue.  That 20% figure is much higher than the Chinese revenue generated from the other three tech titans.

Facebook doesn’t operate in China.  Alphabet does operate there, but many of its core services are severely restricted.  Amazon operates there as well, but is not even close to becoming a major player.

The Middle Kingdom’s significance to Apple has definitely incentivized them to keep the Chinese regulators happy.  This results in Apple removing hundreds of VPN apps from the Chinese App Store as well as building a data center in China to house Chinese users’ data.  Apple may not always like the Chinese regulations, but they certainly aren’t pulling out of China anytime soon.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $169.01 per share on December 6th, 2017. It generated losses of 0.37% from its previous close on December 5th, 2017, when it closed at $169.64 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple’s AirPods Shipments Are Expected To Double Next Year

December 5, 2017

Apple Stock News

According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple’s most accurate forecaster, Apple AirPods will explode in popularity next year. Its shipments are expected to double in 2018, growing from 13-14 million units in 2017 to a range of 26 to 28 million units.

The 100% year-over-year growth is from one of Apple’s most popular wireless accessories. The Bluetooth headphones launched late last year were hard to find at first. Its availability struggled to meet demand, as can be seen by Apple Store’s shipping estimate for the AirPods being a six-week wait.

Kuo said that Apple is now addressing its supply problems by adding a new China-based assembler, Luxshare. Previously, it was only manufactured by Inventec. This increased manufacturing capacity. Consequently, the AirPods expected shipping time from the point of ordering shortened to 1-3 days.

Moreover, Apple is also planning to release a new wireless charging method for the AirPods, yet there has been no official date for the release.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $168.8 per share on December 4th, 2017. It generated losses of 0.73% from its previous close on December 3rd, 2017, when it closed at $171.05 per share.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For full AAPL daily forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple Files Patent For A Foldable Electronic Device

November 28, 2017

Apple Stock News

The technology Giant Apple has filed an application with the United States Patent & Trade Office for a foldable electronic device. The application states that this technology is related to any kind of electronic gadget that has a display: laptop computer, tablet computer, cellular telephone, a wristwatch, or other electronic device.

Most likely that Apple’s most popular product, the iPhone, will be the device utilizing this technology. Apple is not the first company working on a foldable phone. Samsung is expected to release a foldable smartphone in 2018. The company has been working on this project for around five years. The Galaxy X will allow users to fold, bend, and change its size to suit their needs.

Moreover, ZTE has already launched a foldable phone this year. The Axon M. has two screens and a central hinge, which allows it to fold in half and open like a book. The dual screen can work in several modes, such as traditional – folded in half and behaving like a regular smartphone, independently – each screen operates by its own, extended – as a tablet, and most impressive in a mirror mode, where the folded phone can operate a double viewing screen.

Therefore, the world’s largest market capitalization company is joining the foldable phone race. Despite not being the first to launch this technology, Apple has much more of a chance of owning the market, since ZTE’s foldable smartphone has a far less impressive dual-screen device. Unlike other companies, Apple is going all out with an actual flexible, folding screen rather than a dual-panel design.

For the latest Apple Stock News, AAPL closed at $174.09 per share on November 27th, 2017. It generated losses of 0.5% from its previous close on November 24th, 2017, when it closed at $174.97 per share.

In the past, I Know First issued a bullish forecast for AAPL in 2016.

Since then, AAPL is with 49% gain.

I Know First subscribers received this forecast on October 23rd, 2016. To subscribe today click here.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For Full AAPL forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: A Stumble with the HomePod

November 21, 2017

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple announced on Friday, November 17th, that it would be delaying the launch of its new home speaker based on Siri until next year.  As of now, no release date has been given.  The HomePod was initially announced in June with a December launch date, and was largely viewed as Apple’s response to Google Home and Alexa (Home assistants from Google and Amazon) that are seen as some of the greatest recent technological advances. These home devices are used for everything, from listening to music, to asking questions about the weather, your schedule and general curiosity, and are even used to make purchases as needed.

On its own, a delay of a launch of a specific product wouldn’t be so bad.  After all, the HomePod may be missing out on a holiday season, but Apple is more than able to make up for these sale losses in the long term. The problem is what Apple appears to be signaling to the market with this delay following the problems with the release of the iPhone X (shortage of components and problems with suppliers), the iPhone 7 (with Apple misjudging the demand for the Plus model, leading to a shortage of products) and the Air Pods (with Apple simply stating that it believes the Air Pods needed some more perfecting before they were ready to be launched). Apple is apparently having trouble coordinating with its suppliers, not being able to follow up with launches as promised, or not being able to supply the quantity needed.

Despite these obstacles, Apple still continues to grow, having presented growth in iMac, iPhone and Services sales. Additionally, the company has a positive view for sales next year, including for the HomePod, when it finally launches. As such, the perspective for Apple stock is positive, with several analysts setting the target price for the stock as being between $180 to $200 per share, well above its current price at $170.15.

With this data, it is advisable to wait before buying Apple stock, as it should decrease in price in the short term with this quantity of bad news, but should still present a growth story in the long term.

Keep checking back for more news regarding AAPL. For Full AAPL forecasts and investment advice by our state-of-the-art algorithm click here.

Apple Stock Charts

Apple Stock News: Apple Making Moves to Boost Services Business

November 16, 2017

Apple Stock News

Apple Stock News: Apple is currently laying the groundwork for a sizeable boost in the Services business.  This is on top of the stellar success the Services business already had in the most recent quarter when it grew over 24% to $8.5B in revenue.  The Services segment is composed of the App store, Apple Music, iCloud, and Apple Pay.

According to CFRA Research analyst, Angelo Zino, expect a lot to happen to Apple Services in the next few years.  The quickest way to increase market value and reach $1T or even $2T in market value is to get a higher stock multiple on top of earnings growth.  This is where Services comes into play.  With Services growing at a 20% clip, if Apple can keep it up, it will help Apple increase its multiple.  Service firms typically have higher multiples than hardware firms.  Currently, Services is only 13% of total revenues, but it could soon grow to 20% of total revenues and 33% of total profits.  Not to mention if virtual-reality games and other augmented reality services become popular, Services growth could surge to 30%.

CEO Tim Cook has mentioned in the past how Apple is preparing for an augmented-reality (AR) and virtual-reality future.  With that said, Apple is rumored to be working on a rear-facing 3D sensor system for the iPhone in 2019.  This would help Apple turn the iPhone into the leading AR device.  Also on the rumor mill is that Apple will launch a subscription video-on-demand service in 2018 to take on Netflix and others in the highly competitive and quickly growing space.  Both of these developments would help Apple to achieve its goal of doubling Services revenue by 2020.

Other News

In other news, according to Canalys, Apple is now the leader in the wearables space due to the success of the Apple Watch Series 3.  It was revealed on the last conference call that Watch unit sales were up 50% and the entire wearable business was up 75% YoY.  This is just another example of Apple’s effort to build up the non-iPhone segments of the company.

It was also reported that Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway added 3.9M shares of Apple in the third quarter.  As many investors follow Buffet’s lead, it could lead to increased demand for Apple stock in the near term.

Although Apple’s stock price has pulled back in the past week and there could be more uncertainty in the near term, the long term story remains bullish.

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Apple Stock News
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