Wall Street re-bets on Apple: iPhone 17 series ignites performance expectations

Zhitong
2025.10.20 13:28
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Wall Street's evaluation of Apple Inc. is positive, with strong sales data for the iPhone 17 series, and the stock price rose 1.9% in pre-market trading on Monday. Loop Capital upgraded Apple's rating from "Neutral" to "Buy," raising the target price from $226 to $315. Evercore ISI included Apple in its "Tactical Outperform List," maintaining a target stock price of $290. Counterpoint Research noted that the sales of the iPhone 17 series in the first 10 days after launch were 14% higher than those of the iPhone 16 series, with significant growth in the sales of the base model

According to the Zhitong Finance APP, multiple Wall Street investment institutions have given positive evaluations to Apple Inc. (AAPL.US), while Counterpoint Research has released positive sales data for the iPhone 17 series. The company's stock price rose 1.9% in pre-market trading on Monday.

Loop Capital analyst Ananda Baruah upgraded Apple's rating from "Neutral" to "Buy," raising the target price from $226 to $315. He stated that the strong sales of the iPhone 17 series provide "significant upside potential" for the iPhone business. Investment firm Evercore ISI also included Apple in its "Tactical Outperform List," mentioning the strong performance of iPhone sales data; the firm reiterated its "Outperform" rating for Apple, maintaining a target stock price of $290.

Additionally, Counterpoint Research noted that in both the Chinese and American markets, the sales of the iPhone 17 series in the first 10 days after launch were 14% higher than those of the iPhone 16 series. This influential research institution emphasized that the base model of the iPhone 17 is the "core driver" of sales growth—its sell-out data improved by nearly 33% compared to the iPhone 16 series. Further analysis from Counterpoint added that Chinese consumers have shown a strong preference for the base model of the iPhone 17. Reports indicate that last week, the iPhone Air sold out "within minutes" after receiving approval for launch in China.

In contrast, the iPhone 17 Pro Max had the highest sales in the U.S. market, partly due to generous subsidies offered by carriers such as AT&T (T.US), Verizon (VZ.US), and T-Mobile (TMUS.US).

Counterpoint analyst Maurice Klaehne stated in a statement: "U.S. carriers are trying to convert high device subsidies into higher monthly service fee revenues over 24 or 36-month financing contracts to maximize customer lifetime value. The focus on discount policies for the Pro Max model makes this ultra-high-end Apple device more accessible to consumers, which not only drives the trend towards high-end products but also strengthens the binding of high-value customers to the Apple ecosystem."

The iPhone Air, which received significant media and analyst attention upon its release last month, has overall performance that has surpassed the iPhone 16 Plus, despite mixed data in the U.S. market.

Apple plans to release its latest quarterly earnings report after the market closes on October 30. Analyst consensus expectations indicate that Apple is expected to report earnings per share of $1.76 and revenue of $101.71 billion for the quarter

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