Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has received yet another price target cut, this time from analysts at Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS). They lowered their target from $600 to $525 per share and reiterated their outperform rating on the stock. Analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. (NYSE:JPM) also slashed their price target—down to $545 from $725 per share.
Even though Credit Suisse analysts lowered their price target for Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), they said there are three main things that need to happen in order for the company to recover momentum: a new product cycle, increased carrier expansion and a return to growth. In their view, all three of these events will occur in the second half of this year.
They said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s June guidance suggests that we won’t see any new products until the second half of this year. They also said it means that investors will have to be patient as the company transitions to a new product portfolio later this year. In their view, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s growth is simply slowing temporarily. The company’s capital allocation plan did make investors happy somewhat in the near term, especially since it announced its biggest share buyback in company history.
Credit Suisse Group AG (NYSE:CS) analysts said they believe growth in the high-end smartphone market, carrier distribution and enterprise opportunities will provide tailwinds to push Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) to a return of more robust growth. They also believe the company will release a low-price iPhone in the second half of this year, along with the refreshed iPhone 5S. In their view, the addition of a low-cost iPhone will add $5 to long term earnings per share.
The analysts created a list of the top 50 carriers which Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) still doesn’t have a relationship with for the iPhone. They said by building a relationship with those carriers, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) could see an incremental 65 million new iPhone units sold annually in the long term.
