Benzinga·2025-09-03 15:21Core Viewpoint - A recent U.S. court ruling has positively impacted shares of Alphabet Inc and Apple, allowing their ongoing $20 billion search deal to continue without restrictions, which analysts view as a significant win for both companies [1][2]. Group 1: Analyst Reactions - Wedbush analyst Dan Ives described the ruling as a "massive win" for both Apple and Google, removing a $25 billion overhang on Alphabet's stock [2]. - JPMorgan's Samik Chatterjee noted that the ruling was "better than feared," indicating only modest headwinds for Google, with exclusive deals not permitted going forward [2][3]. - Bank of America analyst Wamsi Mohan stated that there would likely be no immediate changes to Apple's revenue from Google, as users can still change their default search engine [4]. Group 2: Future Prospects - Analysts suggest that Apple and Google may expand their partnership, potentially leading to a larger AI-related collaboration following the resolution of the DOJ case [2]. - Chatterjee expects a "robust" agreement between Apple and Google to continue, even without exclusivity [3]. - The ruling has increased confidence in Apple's Services segment for future revenue growth [4]. Group 3: Stock Performance - Apple shares rose 2.6% to $235.58, with a year-to-date decline of 3.4% in 2025 [5]. - Alphabet shares increased by 8.3% to $228.88, achieving a year-to-date gain of 20.9% in 2025 [5]. Group 4: Price Targets - Wedbush maintains an Outperform rating on Apple with a price target of $270 [6]. - JPMorgan holds an Overweight rating on Apple with a price target of $255 [6]. - Bank of America raised its price target for Apple from $250 to $260 while maintaining a Buy rating [6].