Wedbush's Dan Ives: Apple's AI strategy is essentially invisible

AI Strategy & Market Position - Apple's AI strategy is currently "invisible" compared to other big tech companies, placing them behind in the AI race [2][3] - The industry believes Apple needs to make a significant acquisition in the AI space within 3-6 months to remain competitive [3] - Internal AI innovation at Apple is considered highly unlikely, necessitating acquisitions [5] - Missing out on the AI revolution could tarnish Apple's future and the CEO's legacy [7] - Apple's multiple is under focus because it lacks a presence in the AI sector, unlike companies like Palantir, Microsoft, and Nvidia [9] - The industry views Apple's recent WWDC event as lacking innovation, highlighting the fundamental problem [10] Acquisition & Innovation - Acquisitions are necessary for Apple to advance in AI, and these need to be significant deals, not small, undisclosed ones [6] - Acquiring Perplexity is suggested as a potential solution to gain AI search capabilities for iPhones [4] - The company has the largest install base in the world with 1.5 billion iPhones, making this a crucial time for strategic moves [6] External Factors - Concerns about tariffs and playing nice with the previous administration have been alleviated, contributing to a stock lift [2]