Pain or Gain Ahead of Apple? ETFs in Focus

Core Insights - Apple shares have shown mixed performance, gaining 1% over the past month, 9.4% over six months, but losing 4% year-to-date, with the iPhone 17 launch failing to excite investors [1][2] - Competition from Xiaomi is intensifying as it prepares to launch its flagship Xiaomi 17 series, directly targeting Apple's premium market share [3][4] - Apple's strong presence in China is supported by government subsidies, but challenges remain due to competition and economic factors [6][8] Financial Performance - Apple's iPhone currently holds 62% of the $600 and above smartphone market [4] - Greater China sales accounted for 16.3% of Apple's total sales in Q3 of fiscal 2025 [9] - Apple shares trade at a forward P/E of 31.8X, higher than Xiaomi's 23.75X and the industry average of 28.2X [13] Market Competition - Xiaomi's premium smartphone sales surged 55% in the first half of the year, indicating its ambition to capture more market share [5] - IDC data shows Apple with a 15.7% global smartphone market share, behind Samsung's 19.7% and ahead of Xiaomi's 14.4% [5] AI Developments - Concerns exist regarding Apple's progress in artificial intelligence, with delays in AI features and departures of key AI researchers [10][11] - Apple has made several acquisitions to enhance its AI capabilities and plans to launch an AI-powered web search tool next year [12] Price Target and Investment Strategy - Analysts have set an average price target of $241.14 for Apple, representing a potential increase of 4.83% from its recent closing price [14] - A basket approach through ETFs is recommended to mitigate company-specific risks while capitalizing on potential rallies in Apple shares [15][16]