Apple (AAPL) may be best known as a tech giant, but in recent years, it has made quite the name for itself as a healthcare tech maker as well. With its earbuds now able to be used as hearing aids, that means a significant leap forward. And Apple is getting ready for its next big advance in health care, planning its first major health study in five years. The news was sufficient to send shares up modestly in Wednesday afternoon’s trading.
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The new Apple Health Study, reports note, will focus on how devices can not only monitor changes in users’ health, but also make predictions about what will happen down the line. It will also set up some new potential connections between the various parts of health, like how certain mental health issues might impact, say, blood pressure or heart rate.
This is the first big study Apple has done in five years, back when it rolled out the Apple Women’s Health Study, the Apple Heart and Movement Study, and the Apple Hearing Study. Given how that last one turned out, there is a real potential for this new study to bring out some exciting new developments, though likely, not any time soon.
Concrete Development
For those who were hoping for something a little more concrete, meanwhile, you will get your wish here. Apple is rolling out the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds complete with one big new feature: heart rate sensors. If you have ever heard your pulse in your ears, then you know the potential here, and can appreciate, if only on a layman’s level, what Apple has done here.
The new earbuds will run $249, and also offer an improved design over the Powerbeats Pro line. One of the biggest new features, besides the heart rate sensors, is a better set of ear hooks that will help the Powerbeats Pro 2 headphones stay in place. Improvements in battery life and sound quality also join in, which will likely prove welcome to buyers.
Is Apple a Buy, Hold or Sell?
Turning to Wall Street, analysts have a Moderate Buy consensus rating on AAPL stock based on 18 Buys, 11 Holds and four Sells assigned in the past three months, as indicated by the graphic below. After a 27.6% rally in its share price over the past year, the average AAPL price target of $250.94 per share implies 6.49% upside potential.
