Apple is ‘Playing It Safe,’ Says Wedbush’s Ives about WWDC 25

iPhone maker Apple’s (AAPL) stock fell 1.2% yesterday after its most-awaited annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) failed to impress the masses. Apple displayed artificial intelligence (AI) features that had already been implemented before, outlined plans to open up its foundational AI model to developers, and introduced a new “liquid glass” visual theme, which replaces the previous Aqua interface.

Meanwhile, Apple software chief Craig Federighi said the company needed more time for refining certain features, such as AI enhancements to the Siri virtual assistant. Wedbush’s top analyst, Daniel Ives, remained unimpressed with the updates, calling the event a “yawner” due to delays in AI progress. Even so, Ives maintained his “Buy” rating on AAPL stock, with a $270 price target, implying 34% upside potential from current levels.

Ives Says Apple Is ‘Playing It Safe’ After Last Year’s Missteps

Ives noted that Cupertino was playing it safe and keeping things close to the vest after last year’s missteps. According to him, Apple failed to deliver any major progress on Apple Intelligence and merely outlined its vision for developers. He added that Apple faces one of its biggest years ahead in terms of AI monetization. Although progressing slowly might sound wise at the moment, Ives cautioned that “Cook & Co. may be forced into doing some bigger AI acquisitions to jumpstart this AI strategy.”

Having said that, Ives noted that the research firm has high confidence in Apple’s ability to make the right moves. However, he believes the company has a “tight window” to unlock its full AI potential, and investors will be closely monitoring the situation next year. Ives added that investors’ patience is “wearing thin.”

To summarize, the analyst acknowledged that Apple is late to the AI race but believes that the WWDC 2025 event has laid the foundation for the company’s AI strategy through 2026 and beyond. With a solid installed base of approximately 2.4 billion iOS devices, Apple has a strong platform for integrating AI across its ecosystem in the future.

Is AAPL a Good Stock to Buy?

Wall Street remains divided on Apple’s stock trajectory. On TipRanks, AAPL stock has a Moderate Buy consensus rating based on 16 Buys, nine Holds, and four Sell ratings. Also, the average Apple price target of $228.79 implies 13.6% upside potential from current levels. Year-to-date, AAPL stock has lost 19.4%.

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