Yesterday I appeared on CNBC Street Signs, and dropped the truth about America's favorite over hyped company. Check it out...
One viewpoint that is prevalent is the ideology that Apple's problems are temporary and can be fixed with a smattering of pixie dust and fairy farts within the crumbling Apple RDF (reality distortion field). The pundit in the segment above stated that their are no signs of margin compression in the iPhone franchise because ASPs are level. Wait a minute dude! ASPs may be level but costs are increasing. Steady sales plus increasing costs mean lower margins right? I called this last year on TV. Reference...
The short call - October 2012, the month of Apple's all-time high and my call to subscribers to short the stock: Deconstructing The Most Accurate Apple Analysis Ever Made - Share Price, Market Share, Strategy and All
This crux of that article was to debunk the widely assumed notion that I was bearish on Apple's share price for 2 years. The reality of the matter was that the paid research and opinion clearly supported much of Apple's share price until right about the last earnings report and release of the iPhone 5, until I notably went bearish and Apple promptly lost 35%, or about 4 Dells with a LinkedIn thrown in to boot...
apple stock and front month options
Notice how this chart shows subscription research would have provided ample profits LONG and short, with the long presumed to be unleverred as a straight stock purchase. This is to put to bed any naysayers. Now, as to whether my many proclamations over the last two years regarding Apple were able to hold water, we let the facts speak on the reasoning behind the call and the accuracy of my call in the deterioration of Apple's margins, market share and status.
Now, if you recall, there were many sell side analysts calling for Apple to break $1,000 per share just a few months ago. On Friday, 25 January 2013 I penned "What Sell Side Wall Street Doesn't Understand About Apple - It's Not The Leader Of The Post PC World!!!", and is excerpted as follows:
I was going to name this piece "Why Sell Side Wall Street and the Mainstream Media Can't Touch Me", but I decided to go the humble route :-) Do you guys remember those highly paid Wall Street analysts and popular MSM guys who had $1,000+ price targets on Apple just a few months ago? Let's reminisce, shall we...
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- Gene Munster [Piper Jaffrey] Says Apple Is Going to $1,000 - Businessweek Apr 2012
- Apple's Quarter Was Lousy, But Stock Still Headed To $1,000 - Forbes Oct 26, 2012
- Andy Zaky: Apple will cross $1,000 within 15 months - Apple 2.0 ...Sep 18, 2012 – And hit $1500 before the end of 2014, predicts the manager of an Apple-only hedge fund Zaky called that bottom in mid May.
- Cramer's 'Mad Money' Recap: Apple $1,000 Not Half-Baked...Apr 3, 2012
- How Google is Looking to Cut Apple’s Margin and How the Sell Side of Wall Street Will Enable This Without Sheeple Investor’s Having a Clue - This pretty much says it all, right Mr. Munster of Piper Jaffrey??? Yeah, I called you out on this one! Here is an excerpt for good measure, but before you read it remember that Apple's thrashing at the exchange has forced it to renounce its earnigns manipulating ways - just as I anticipated!!!
Well, let's see what's in today's news... Oh yeah!!! Apple cuts MacBook Pro Retina and Air prices, boosts specs
Apple has slashed the price of its MacBook Pro with Retina display notebooks, throwing in some updated specifications along the way.
Hey, wait a minute! Didn't I say that in the CNBC segment yesterday, and all through last year? Subscribers can access my full Apple report and valuation here Apple 4Q2012 update professional & institutional and Apple 4Q2012 update - retail). Those of you who don't subscribe can review the dated, redacted version below...