Apple (AAPL) Trading 14.2% Below Analyst Targets After This Week's 8% Drop

Core Viewpoint - Apple (AAPL) stock has dropped 7.95% to $255.78, trading 10% below analyst targets despite strong quarterly performance, raising questions about market pricing and potential entry points for investors [1][2]. Financial Performance - Apple reported record revenue of $143.76 billion and iPhone sales of $85.27 billion in the last quarter, returning nearly $32 billion to shareholders and surpassing 2.5 billion active devices [1]. - Year-to-date, Apple stock has declined 5.83%, while the S&P 500 has remained flat at -0.02% [1]. Analyst Ratings and Market Outlook - Out of 47 analysts, 29 maintain Buy ratings with an average target price of $292.15, indicating a potential upside of 10% from current levels [1]. - Despite the recent selloff, analysts cite strong fundamentals and long-term growth drivers, including a robust iPhone 17 cycle and record services revenue of $30.01 billion, up 14% year-over-year [1][2]. Cost Pressures and Delays - Concerns arose from Apple agreeing to terms with Kioxia that will double NAND flash memory prices starting Q1 2026, indicating ongoing component cost inflation [1]. - Delays in the launch of Apple Intelligence 2.0 have been reported, potentially pushing the release past March, which could impact investor sentiment [1]. Technical Indicators - The Relative Strength Index (RSI) dropped to 39.59, indicating the stock is in oversold territory, which historically suggests potential for a near-term bounce [1]. - Previous oversold readings in January recovered within two weeks, suggesting a similar recovery could occur if Apple addresses AI feature delays and stabilizes component costs [1]. Competitive Landscape - Apple’s partnership with Google on AI features is seen as a strategic advantage, allowing the company to leverage cutting-edge capabilities without significant capital expenditure [1]. - Competitive pressures from Nvidia and Microsoft in the AI space, along with regulatory scrutiny, could pose challenges for Apple moving forward [2].