Stock price when the opinion was issued
A trade, not a long-term investment. He trimmed it, because he's been buying higher from $206, and will sell when he sees exhaustion in shares. $235 was a temporary ceiling, so he took some profits (sold half his position). He doesn't look at prices, but how the stock reacts to the overall environment. Is purely a trade.
Sat out capex on data centres and infrastructure that's depleting other companies' cash balances. Time will tell whether this was a good move or not. The big capex spend may not have been the most efficient use of capital.
Core company beliefs are free cashflow and earnings. Consistently buys back shares, which enhances return to shareholders. Apple owns the end consumer. Don't count it out yet.
On Tuesday, they roll out the iPhone 17 and he likes what he's hearing about them. But Wall Street doesn't seem to care. Own it, don't trade it. Is up only 7.78% the past year, trailing the S&P, but doesn't bother him. Is up 41% since the April low, back in the good graces of Trump. Apple sales are growing again. Remains a huge position of his.
What Call Options would you use? The easiest way is to buy the option that is closest to the current price of the underlying stock. It is currently at $149.56, so he would look at a $150 Call. A $150 Call is the option that is considered to be “at the money”, because the Strike price is basically at where the stock price is. The “at the money” options tend to act most like an options contract, so you will get the bang on the upside and the hedge a bit on the downside. It is the most liquid option of the basket that you could look at. If you want to get a little more sophisticated, try and ascertain in your mind what kind of move you think is reasonable for the company based on your forecast for what the iPhone 8 is going to do for the company.