Company Performance - Apple reported a record-breaking first quarter with revenue of approximately $143.8 billion and earnings per share of $2.84, exceeding expectations due to strong iPhone demand and overall market strength [2] - iPhone revenue increased by roughly 23% to an all-time high, while services also reached a record as Apple's installed base surpassed 2.5 billion active devices [2] - CEO Tim Cook indicated strong growth prospects with guidance for double-digit revenue expansion in the next quarter, despite challenges from memory chip cost pressures and supply constraints [3] Market Reactions - The nomination of Kevin Walsh as the new chair of the Federal Reserve led to a strengthening of the dollar and a significant drop in gold prices, reflecting market expectations regarding future Fed policy [5] - The memory sector is experiencing significant growth, with companies like Sandisk and Western Digital reporting triple-digit gains and benefiting from tight supplies and high demand driven by AI and data centers [8] Upcoming Earnings and Expectations - Alphabet is expected to report earnings per share of $2.60, a 20% increase from last year, with revenue projected at $94.7 billion, focusing on search and YouTube ad revenue, AI monetization, and cloud growth [12] - Amazon's earnings per share is anticipated to be $1.98, with rising revenue of $211.53 billion, while investors will closely monitor AWS growth amid strong competition in the retail sector [13] Economic Indicators - Upcoming economic data releases include global manufacturing PMIs, ISM reports, and ADP job numbers, which will be crucial for market reactions and future rate cut expectations [16]

Market Overview - Major indexes experienced a decline, with technology shares remaining under pressure. President Trump's selection of Kevin Warsh as the Federal Reserve chair has somewhat alleviated concerns regarding Fed independence due to his hawkish stance on inflation [4][5] - Despite the overall market weakness, the S&P 500, Dow, and Nasdaq are still on track for a positive January, each up more than 1% for the month so far [5] Commodity Market - Gold spot prices fell 16% from the previous day's highs, while silver dropped 39%, indicating market comfort with Warsh's hawkish lean. However, both metals remain significantly higher for the month (+12% for gold and +14% for silver) and for the past year (+72% for gold and +164% for silver) [6] Bond Market - Bond yields increased following a higher-than-expected December core producer price index, which rose by 0.7% compared to the anticipated 0.3% [7] Equity Market Performance - Apple shares declined despite reporting better-than-expected Q1 earnings and revenue, driven by strong iPhone sales. In contrast, SanDisk's stock surged by 22% due to positive guidance [7] - The equity markets showed volatility throughout the week but ended January on a higher note, with small caps leading the gains while the Nasdaq lagged [7] Currency and Cryptocurrency - The dollar has depreciated for the third consecutive month, while Bitcoin exhibited typical volatility, initially dropping but recovering by the end of the trading day [8] Trend Tracking Indexes (TTIs) - The domestic TTI remains bullish, closing at +6.52% above its moving average, while the international TTI closed at +10.51% above its moving average, both maintaining their respective "Buy" signals [12][13]

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) turned in a blockbuster quarter on Thursday, featuring record-breaking iPhone sales in the key holiday quarter. The company topped estimates on the top and bottom lines in the quarter, as revenue jumped 16% to $143.8 billion with iPhone sales up 23% to $85.3 billion. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks » Profits also grew by a similar percentage, showing ...

Core Viewpoint - The article emphasizes the importance of generating alpha through independent investment strategies, focusing on a generalist approach across various sectors with potential for outperforming the S&P 500 [1] Group 1: Investment Strategy - The company manages its portfolio primarily through a Self Managed Super Fund, aiming for a holding period that ranges from a few quarters to multiple years [1] - The investment approach includes building and maintaining spreadsheets that track historical financial data, key metrics, guidance trends, and performance indicators [1] - The company prefers not to build long-term DCF models, instead focusing on assessing company performance and the outlook on five key drivers of valuation: revenues, costs and margins, cash flow conversion, capex and investments, and interest rates [1] Group 2: Research Methodology - The company monitors relevant industry news, reports, and other analysts' coverage to stay informed about the stocks being analyzed [1] - In instances of leadership changes, the company conducts in-depth research on the new CEO's background and past performance [1] - For companies with high trading multiples, a reverse DCF analysis is sometimes performed to understand the implied growth rates [1]

Core Insights - The article emphasizes the importance of generating alpha through independent investment strategies, focusing on sectors with perceived potential against the S&P 500 [1] Investment Approach - The company employs a generalist approach, analyzing various sectors as long as there is perceived alpha potential [1] - The typical holding period for investments ranges from a few quarters to multiple years [1] Research Methodology - The company builds and maintains spreadsheets that track historical financial data, key metrics, guidance trends, and performance indicators [1] - In addition to company filings, the company monitors relevant industry news and reports, as well as other analysts' coverage [1] - During significant events, such as CEO changes, the company conducts in-depth research on the leader's background and performance history [1] Valuation Techniques - The company rarely uses DCF models for long-term projections, believing they add limited value [1] - Instead, the focus is on assessing company performance and the outlook on five key drivers of DCF valuation: revenues, costs and margins, cash flow conversion, capital expenditures, and interest rates [1] - For companies with high multiples, reverse DCF analysis is utilized to understand implied growth rates [1]

Group 1: Apple - iPhone sales grew 23% to $85.3 billion, the fastest pace since 2021, driven by the iPhone 17 lineup, with Greater China revenue at $25.53 billion, up 38% year over year [1] - Apple reported $143.8 billion in December-quarter revenue, a 16% increase year over year, exceeding analyst expectations, with net income of $42.1 billion and EPS of $2.84 [2] - The company expects sales to grow 13% to 16% year over year in the current quarter, indicating momentum [6] Group 2: Meta - Meta's revenue grew 23.8% year over year to $59.9 billion, with operating income at $24.7 billion and a 41.3% margin, guiding for first-quarter revenue growth of 26.4% to 33.5% year over year [10] - Family of Apps advertising revenue rose 24% year over year, supported by an 18% increase in ad impressions and a 6% increase in average price per ad [11] - Meta's capex guidance for 2026 is $115 billion to $135 billion, with total expenses expected at $162 billion to $169 billion, indicating strong operating performance [12] Group 3: Microsoft - Microsoft reported revenue of $81.27 billion, driven by cloud and AI momentum, with Azure growing about 38% year over year [15] - The company has a commercial backlog totaling about $625 billion, up 110% year over year, with bookings up 230% year over year [18] - Guidance for March-quarter revenue is set at $80.65 billion to $81.75 billion, with Azure expected to grow about 37% to 38% in constant currency [20] Group 4: Tesla - Tesla's total revenue was $24.9 billion, with automotive revenue at $17.69 billion and auto gross margins ex-credits at 17.9%, above expectations [22] - Energy generation and storage revenue was $3.84 billion, up 25% year over year, indicating a shift in focus towards energy solutions [23] - Tesla disclosed 1.1 million active FSD subscriptions, up 38% year over year, and plans to halt Model S and Model X production to focus on humanoid robot production [24] Group 5: Overall Industry Insights - The earnings week highlighted how established companies like Apple and Meta continue to show growth, while Microsoft and Tesla focus on building for the future [25] - The market is increasingly scrutinizing spending and investment strategies, with a shift towards accountability in growth narratives [3][5] - The ongoing buildout in technology and AI is being closely monitored, with companies needing to demonstrate that their investments translate into sustainable business models [27]

Core Insights - The company has experienced a significant quarter in terms of iPhone design, particularly in China, which has provided a strong tailwind for services [1] - Despite strong performance and guidance, the stock reaction has been puzzling, with expectations for a 5% to 8% increase not materializing [1] - The company is facing challenges in articulating a clear strategy, which has contributed to investor skepticism [2][10] Group 1: Market Performance and Investor Sentiment - The company has a massive install base of 1.5 billion iPhones, yet it has lagged behind mega-cap tech peers, leading to disappointment among investors [3][4] - Concerns about gross margins due to rising memory prices and supply chain constraints related to the iPhone's three-nanometer processor may impact investor confidence [4][5] - The stock's movement is heavily dependent on the company's ability to outline a clear growth strategy, which is currently lacking [6][10] Group 2: Strategic Partnerships and Market Dynamics - The partnership with Google, particularly the Gemini initiative, is seen as a significant step towards building a subscription service, which is not yet reflected in the stock [3][12] - The company has navigated geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China, which have eased, providing a positive outlook for iPhone sales in China, accounting for 20% of total sales [9][10] - The company is perceived to be in a critical moment where it must capitalize on its strengths and address its strategic shortcomings to avoid falling behind [13][14]

Apple Stock: iPhone Shortages Weigh On Near-Term Prospects | Investor's Business DailyBREAKING: [Stocks Test Key Levels; U.S. Government Enters Shutdown]---Apple's (AAPL) record iPhone sales during the December quarter cleared out much of its supply, which has led to shortages for the March quarter. Apple stock rose Friday after its upbeat holiday-quarter report. The consumer electronics giant late Thursday beat Wall Street's targets for its fiscal first quarter and guided above views for the current period ...

Group 1: Federal Reserve and Market Reactions - President Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh as the next Chair of the Federal Reserve, which is causing market reactions as investors speculate on his hawkish monetary policy stance [1][45]. - The market is currently experiencing a mixed picture, with the S&P 500 down approximately 0.5% and the NASDAQ 100 off by 0.6% [2][46]. - There is a notable concern regarding the impact of rising memory prices on tech companies, particularly Apple, which has reported record quarterly sales but faces investor anxiety over future gross margins [1][17]. Group 2: Apple and Memory Prices - Apple has delivered record quarterly sales, exceeding expectations, but is facing challenges due to rising memory prices, which CEO Tim Cook expects to significantly impact gross margins [17][51]. - The tight supply of memory chips is expected to persist, with analysts indicating that prices will remain higher than usual due to extremely high demand and limited producers [15][56]. - Despite strong sales, there is concern about Apple's ability to navigate future challenges, particularly with forecasts predicting a potential 1% drop in the smartphone market in 2026 [51][54]. Group 3: AI and Economic Implications - Kevin Warsh believes that AI will serve as a significant disinflationary force, improving productivity and potentially doubling standards of living within a generation [5][6]. - There is ongoing debate about the impact of AI on labor and the broader economy, with some experts expressing skepticism about the deflationary effects of AI amidst persistent inflationary pressures [10][12]. - The tech industry is closely monitoring how AI developments will influence market dynamics and regulatory frameworks, especially in light of Warsh's potential leadership at the Fed [4][7]. Group 4: SpaceX and Potential Mergers - SpaceX is reportedly considering a merger with Tesla or AI firm XAI, driven by investor interest in consolidating operations [28][29]. - The potential merger could streamline operations and enhance synergies between the companies, which already have a strong collaborative relationship [30][32]. - However, there are significant regulatory hurdles that could complicate any merger discussions, given the scale of the companies involved [33][34]. Group 5: Amazon and AI Investments - Amazon is reportedly in talks to invest $50 billion in OpenAI, aiming to strengthen its position in the AI market [41][42]. - This investment reflects Amazon's desire to enhance its AI capabilities and compete more effectively with rivals like Microsoft and Oracle [41][43]. - The evolving landscape of AI is leading to a shift in how companies approach partnerships and investments, with a focus on securing access to cutting-edge technologies [43][44].

Apple (AAPL) stock is inching down on Jan. 30, as rising memory costs temper enthusiasm about future gains despite record revenue on staggering iPhone demand in fiscal Q1. But a senior JPMorgan analyst, Samik Chatterjee, believes AAPL is worth buying on the dip since it’s trading at a discount by historic norms. At the time of writing, Apple shares are up some 50% versus their 52-week low. More News from Barchart www.barchart.com Why JPMorgan Is Bullish on Apple Stock In his research note, Chatterjee ...