Apple’s iPhone Rebound and CEO Shift Stir Wall Street

Apple ( (AAPL) ) has been popular among investors this week. Here is a recap of the key news on this stock.

Apple is back in Wall Street’s spotlight as stronger-than-expected iPhone demand pushes some analysts to turn more bullish on the stock, even as others warn about the limits of future growth. Evercore ISI’s Amit Daryanani reaffirmed his Outperform rating on Apple and nudged his price target up to $330 from $325, implying roughly 25% upside. He now expects December-quarter revenue of $140.5 billion and earnings of $2.71 per share, both ahead of consensus, helped by robust iPhone demand in North America, China and India, a mix shift to higher-end models, and limited near‑term impact from rising memory costs. At the broader Street level, Apple holds a Moderate Buy rating, with an average 12‑month target of about $299.50, suggesting mid‑teens percentage upside.

Yet not everyone is convinced Apple’s nearly $4 trillion valuation leaves enough room for outsized returns. Investor A.J. Button, citing Warren Buffett’s warnings about scale, argues that Apple’s massive revenue base makes “explosive” growth increasingly difficult, especially after setbacks like the cancelled Apple Car and the underwhelming Vision Pro. With revenue up just 6.4% over the past year and the stock trading around 36 times earnings, he rates Apple a Hold, calling it “a great company at a not so great price.” At the same time, investors are watching a developing succession story: according to The New York Times, long‑time hardware engineering chief John Ternus has emerged as the leading internal candidate to replace CEO Tim Cook, who is rumored to be eyeing retirement by the end of 2026 and a move to the chairman’s role. The prospect of a carefully managed handover, combined with resilient iPhone fundamentals and mixed but generally positive analyst sentiment, keeps Apple at the center of the market’s attention going into the next phase of its growth story.