Bidness Etc - Goldman Sachs Gives a Buy Rating Prior Its iWatch Launch

Goldman Sachs presented its scenario analysis on Apple (APPL). The analysis primarily indicates that possibly a favorable risk-reward profile awaits, the bear case price is thus $81 (which is almost 24% down the persisting level) and the bull case share price is expected to go as high as $151 (which is almost 41.5% up)

According to analyst Bill Shope, on ann year-to-date basis the shares of Apple have appreciated by 33.2% and since April 2013, it has appreciated by 91.3%. The prime reason for this growth revolves around their astonishing performance in terms of the announcements they made in the product and platform domain. This includes major breakthroughs like Apple pay, iPhone 6, Apple Watch etc. This seems like a far more established base than what many investors perceived a year back.

This is not the end of a good phase but moreover the shares were sold off by about 10.3% when compared to their 2014 highs. This has led to many investors wondering about what to expect from the company in 2015. Many thoughts cross their mind such as the running of shares, too far and too abruptly or would Apple Watch would be successful in giving the boost to the company’s share. This report will comprise a brief overview of the swing factors that can have an impact on Apple hare price in 2015. A catalyst map for the upcoming year will also be discussed that will focus on various scenarios regarding the financial and product metrics.

According to Shope’s consensus, the risk-reward profile of the company shares seems to be extremely favorable. Hence, he gives a Buy rating to Apple with an approximate target price compounding to $124.

The much-anticipated gold version of the Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) watch is finally about to arrive. The watch is approximately worth $5,000, but since this was not enough for the tech giants. A diamond studded watch is about to be launched which is priced at $30,000.

Mervis Diamond Importers are impatiently waiting to get customized orders for the watch. The watch is made out of 8 rows of diamonds studded in an 18-carat rose gold band. This company has been associated with apple for a long time in terms of providing Apple with diamonds for their devices. A diamond encrusted iPod shuffle was released in 2007. A few years later a diamond encrusted iPad was released. One fantastic outcome being that Apple is now making a diamond watch that is wearable rather than making iPad’s with diamonds on it.

Such products are not demanded in a high quantity, but companies that specialize in making such products gain huge amounts of profits within the few pieces that are sold.

Since everyone does not have an extra $5,000 or $30,000 to spare, a normal Apple watch can still be bought by everyone for $349. The reports that came in recently stated that the manufacturing of the obnoxiously priced watch will begin in January, it is said to be released by the end of quarter 1 2015. The company hopes to get 5 million watches ready by the launch date.

Mervis and other third parties must be grieved about the release date as they will miss out on the Christmas Shopping season sales of the diamond studded watch.

Bidness Etc - Apple Gets a New Patent, And a Self-Driving Rumored iCar Sighted

A mysterious self-controlled car has been sighted in Concord Bay Area. It is rumored to be another one of Apple’s experiments for their product expansion.
Apple is keen on ensuring quality in terms of mapping service, hence it was no surprise spotting the minivan having at least 12 cameras fixed on its top, it came across at the one used in Street View car. Besides this, two disc-shaped small antennas were also fitted, along with LiDAR sensors that look like spinning cylindrical devices, seems to be hanging over the rear end and front, also to measure rotations of the wheel as far as guesses are being made.
A number of minivans have been sighted in California, having LiDAR sensor fixed on its roof and rear. LiDAR is basically a laser-based technology which is used to create high-resolution maps, and is of significance for the sensing systems that is placed in self-driving vehicles. LiDAR has also been used by Google Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), in their self-driving cars.
It is also being said that almost identical minivan in white, was witnessed in Brooklyn last September, with a license plate of California. Moreover, the California Department of Motor Vehicles has confirmed that a Dodge Caravan spotted along with the van carrying equipment is leased by Apple.
It is nothing new about Apple wanting to try its hands on the electric car. The tech giant has been rumored long to be interested in smart cars. A patent was granted on Tuesday for "Apple Electric Car, Inc.," which doesn’t come much as a surprise but surely did raise eyebrows.
The patent, which was discovered by a blog Patently Apple, was basically to support an adjustable pedestal for the computerized display view in a golf cart, which is highly unlikely for Tim Cook to be interested in anything of that sort. According to the filing, the patent allows the golf cart’s display to be seen by the diver despite whether the driver or user is inside the golf car or outside of it.
The news about Elon Musk being spotted at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters was enough to make the tech world go insane with the news. However, the speculations weren’t completely shattered when Mr. Musk reported that the visit was about an acquisition.
The Wall Street analysts have quite for long been claiming that the company might be interested in making an investment in order to purchase an electric car company. But nothing of material has occurred so far, except a development ELEKS creating an Apple iWatch app to allow control of Tesla using their wrists.

Bidness Etc - Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) is past its previous high of $119 per share.

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) shattered expectations regarding its share price as well as shipped more smart phones in last quarter than Samsung Electronics did. After the company’s record last quarter result came out, its stock price witnessed a boost this week. On Friday, its share price reached $120 for the very first time after its stock split last year and past their previous high of $119 per share.
Apple Inc. with total market capitalization of $695 billion surpassed Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) and nearly doubled market cap that of Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG).
On Wednesday, Kristen Scholer wrote about Apple’s profit of $18 billion, that it was the highest ever posted by a public company in one quarter. Apple today has a cash pile of almost $178 billion, which is more than enough to buy IBM.

According to Apple’s senior portfolio manager, Daniel Morgan said that the company’s quarterly result was excellent and showed a good sign, but it is upsetting for its rivals Microsoft Corp. and IBM. According to BTIG analysts, the company will see even more upside in first quarter of 2015, as the tech giant has the potential to earn strong revenue and earnings per share growth this year.
After company released its quarterly results, many research firms increased their target price on Apple. For example, Citi reportedly wrote that besides having more worth than any other public company, Apple costs less than the broader market on P/E basis. Citi today has $135 target share price on Apple.
There are chances that Apple could tumble its top competitor Samsung Co. in the smartphone battle. Samsung reported 27% decrease in its profit last quarter, as per company’s earnings’ report. According to the management, this is due to lower smartphone sales. However, another report states that, Apple has presumably conquered the Chinese market from Samsung in terms of smartphone sales.
Co-Founder of Global Equities Research, Trip Chowdhry predicted apple share price to go up to $150. He mentioned the firm as “a multiyear, multi product, multi geography, multi service growth company”. An announcement followed by, from California-based company’s CEO, Tim Cook that Apple’s iWatch will be released in April. Trip is expecting Apple watch to be an “extraordinary success”.
62 analysts recently covered Apple Inc., out of which 45 has rated it as a ‘buy’ whereas, 13 gave it a ‘hold’ rating.
The company’s share price climbed to $114.90 during the after-hours trading on Friday.