Stock price when the opinion was issued
Is adding to his position, being underweight. He wants to buy more at $190-195, but today's tariff report produced enough negativity (down over 2%) to add shares. Apple can hold its ground in a sideways/down market. There are many questions about tariffs going forward. Today was the first of three tranches of buying.
Usually, they allow others to invest in new technologies, let's them make the mistakes, then Apple enters to capture the entire space, as in music and the phone. He expects the same game plan with AI. This strategy is already baked into the shares. The PE is richly valued. Part of this comes to shifting services to 28% of their overall business, a high-margin business, including their app store. And the app store will be their entry into AI. Over 20 years, the shares have seen good and bad times, including three 50% drops. Recent revenue and earnings growth has been poor, so you need faith for the long run.
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.
He bought more Apple. Doesn't know what they will do with AI, but is certain they will do something. Maybe they buy Perplexity, which would be a fine way to interface with AI. He sold this at $247.50, and looks attractive at $200. He's been rebuying this at an average cost of $209, and collected option premiums and small dividend.