Is Buying Apple Stock a No-Brainer?

Core Viewpoint - Apple stock has experienced significant volatility, with a 30% drop earlier in the year due to tariff concerns and competition in AI, but has rebounded nearly 8% as of October 27 following the iPhone 17 launch [1] Group 1: Stock Performance - The share price of Apple dropped approximately 30% earlier in the year due to market concerns [1] - As of October 27, the stock is up nearly 8% for the year [1] Group 2: Expert Analysis - Jose Mayora, an emerging fund manager, argues that there is no such thing as a "no-brainer" stock, emphasizing the need to analyze current valuations and growth assumptions [3] - Mayora highlights that Apple's current P/E ratio of nearly 40x sets a high expectation for growth and reinvestment returns, which may not be realistic given market saturation and competition [5] - Dave Novosel notes that consensus estimates predict a top-line growth of roughly 4% for the iPhone segment in fiscal 2026, which is lower than expected growth for fiscal 2025 [6] Group 3: Growth Segments - Apple's services segment reported a growth of $27.42 billion for the quarter, reflecting an annual increase of 13%, which could support overall growth [7]