AAPL

Thoughts on Apple stock in 2014?

I actually think for Jan and Feb option expiries, the implied vol is significantly too high.

I want to look more into their deal with China Mobile before making a decision but I’m cautiously optimistic. I sold my AAPL a couple months ago higher then what it’s at today, so I might be willing to buy it back.

stock tanking…

Apple has a great competitive advantage, a powerful brand, a great management team, loyal customers, heavy profit margins, return of capital program, and a low valuation. I’m long AAPL, but I’m willing to buy only below 500 where I feel there is a substantial margin of safety.

New thoughts on them buying Beats? As a consumer I am pretty dissappointed, Beats headphones are complete garbage, however, as an investor I think it’s a good move, Beats appeals to the masses and fits with iPhones strategy of being a functional fashion accessory.

I think they overpaid quite a bit for Beats, which is never a good sign, but I actually am starting to turn into a small fan of the stock. I think that after the 7:1 split, you’ll get a lot more interest from the average retail investor, which should help to push the stock a bit higher. This purchase was also a change of course for their M+A philosophy, and perhaps indicates they are willing to put some of their cash to work. That could be a good thing, but I’m not certain. A company that got where they are via innovation has a huge pile of cash and can’t find a better use for it than share buybacks, dividends and overpaying for a headphone maker/streaming service.

Well off the all time highs, and with the share price carrying much less sticker shock after the split(not to mention becoming more attractive to institutional buyers, who are holding Apple at the lowest amounts in years) I wouldn’t be shy about taking a position.

This is my thought. I think it could work ok. The product can be complete garbage, but its marketed very well and could go well with Apple. Not thrilled though.

It will be interesting to see how they use the Beats name. Currently, Apple doesn’t really have other brands under their banner or mixed in with their products. I’ve done little reading this morning, but I’m guessing this ends the partnerships with HP, and I think HTC sold their stake entirely already. I wonder if Apple will be doing any licensing or not. I’m guessing no.

Headphone market grew by 11% in 2013, still lots of growth into future and Apple wants it all

Overbought

This company is so very widely followed and yet so poorly understood it’s funny. I’ve heard everything from “Apple isn’t cool anymore”, “Apple is losing market share”, “Apple makes commodity products”…So many dumb statements…

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/apples-stock-at-whatever-price-is-a-real-buy-2014-06-09

"Apple’s stock, at whatever price, is a real ‘buy’

Insight: Behind the stock-price number, the company’s value is attractive"

Anytime you see headlines like that, you better be cautious.

What’s your take on Apple?

That isn’t a dumb statement.

Yeah. Hear the same things, but at the end of the day, even with android taking market share globally, AAPL still earns the vast majority of the profits in the smartphone market. Tech enthusists and the like that trash iphones and like androids may be right, but they’re also the 1%. Most people just want a smartphone. And iphone is the default for most people. Thinking of the folks I work with, in the 20 closest people on my team and around my desk, I think 3 of us including me have androids and one guy has a windows phone. All the rest have iphones, and replace their old ones with new ones.

^ Agreed, iPhones are the default for people too lazy / don’t care to research phones.

^ meh, I don’t think its necessarily that. I used to have an iphone and it’s a perfectly good phone and does what lots/most people want it to do. Even if they researched phones they might decide they still want an iphone.

Why? Rather it seems that those who do research phones would recognize that iPhones have the best hardware design, the best software design, the best ecosystem, the best resale value, and the best overall experience.

^ best resale value is the only objective thing you’ve stated, everything else is opinion and dependant on what an individual wants.