Apple(US:AAPL) HTSC·2026-01-31 07:45Investment Rating - The investment rating for the company is "Buy" with a target price of $288.00, maintaining a valuation of 34.8x FY26E PE [1][5]. Core Insights - The company reported a revenue of $143.8 billion for Q1 FY26, representing a year-on-year increase of 15.7%, exceeding Bloomberg consensus expectations by 4%. This growth was primarily driven by strong sales of the iPhone 17 series, which saw a revenue increase of 23% year-on-year [1][2]. - The overall gross margin for the quarter was 48.2%, with guidance for the next quarter indicating a maintained gross margin of 48%-49%, which is better than market expectations amid rising storage prices [1][2]. - The company has established a partnership with Google to develop next-generation AI models, which is expected to enhance service monetization and maintain high-margin revenue streams in the AI era [1][4]. Performance Review and Guidance - iPhone sales were robust, with actual shipments reaching 81.3 million units in CY4Q25, a year-on-year increase of 4.9%, and revenue from iPhone sales reached $85.3 billion, marking a 23% increase year-on-year [2]. - The average selling price (ASP) of iPhones increased by 17.6% due to strong sales in regions like China, the US, and the Middle East [2]. - For Q2 guidance, the company expects iPhone demand to remain strong, supporting a revenue growth of 13%-16% year-on-year [2]. Storage and Supply Chain Impact - The impact of storage price increases on gross margin is expected to be more pronounced in Q2, although the company has indicated that it has inventory buffers to mitigate immediate effects [3]. - The company is currently facing supply constraints in System on Chip (SoC) production due to strong iPhone demand, with the main bottleneck being TSMC's 3nm advanced process capacity [3]. AI Collaboration and Service Innovation - Service revenue reached $30.02 billion, a year-on-year increase of 14%, with all segments including advertising, cloud services, and payment services hitting record highs [4]. - The collaboration with Google on AI models is expected to enhance the capabilities of Apple's services, including personalized Siri services, while maintaining user privacy standards [4]. Profit Forecast - The company maintains its net profit forecasts for FY2026, FY2027, and FY2028 at $121.7 billion, $129.8 billion, and $140.6 billion respectively, with year-on-year growth rates of 8.6%, 6.7%, and 8.4% [5].