Tech behemoth Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) is scheduled to announce its fiscal third-quarter results after the market close on Thursday, August 3. The iPhone maker is facing a slowdown in the smartphone market and any unfavorable commentary about the outlook for the fiscal fourth quarter could weigh on the stock.
Fiscal Q3 Expectations from Apple
Apple delivered better-than-anticipated fiscal second-quarter (March quarter) results, even as overall revenue declined 2.5% year-over-year to $94.8 billion. The company’s earnings per share (EPS) remained flat at $1.52. It’s worth noting that iPhone revenue increased 1.5% in Q2 FY23, despite a decline in sales of the broader smartphone industry.
However, the company witnessed weaker Mac and iPad revenues in the fiscal second quarter, partially due to parts shortage. These two product categories faced difficult comparisons, as the year-ago period was still gaining from a pandemic-induced spike in demand.
Coming to Q3 FY23, analysts estimate revenue to decline about 1.5% year-over-year to $81.73 billion, while EPS is projected to fall 0.8% to $1.19. Analysts expect iPhone sales to fall in the June quarter.
On Tuesday, Baird analyst William Power increased the price target for Apple to $204 from $180 and reiterated a Buy rating on the stock.
Power anticipates “solid” Q3 FY23 results, though he pointed out that valuation is at nearly all-time highs. The analyst believes that the focus will be on the next iPhone cycle, noting that historically Apple “outperforms mildly” from August to mid-September.
Heading into Q3 FY23 results, TD Cowen analyst Krish Sankar raised the price target for Apple to $220 from $195 on Tuesday, while reiterating a Hold rating.
Sankar projects June quarter revenue to decline 2% year-over-year and the company to issue a 1% revenue growth outlook for the September quarter. The analyst highlighted that the fieldwork by his firm indicates that near-term iPhone builds remain stable, with next-gen iPhone units to be nearly flat in the second half of the calendar year 2023. He expects China and India market share gains to be favorable, while Mac and Wearables segments to experience “muted seasonality.”
Meanwhile, TipRanks’ Website Traffic Tool indicates a downward trend, with visits to apple.com and other company websites plunging 76.42% year-over-year in Q3 FY23. Website visits were down 1.73% sequentially in the fiscal third quarter.
Technical Analysis Ahead of AAPL’s Q3 Earnings
Heading into Fiscal Q3 results, technical indicators reveal that AAPL is a Buy. According to TipRanks’s easy-to-understand technical tool, AAPL’s 50-Day EMA (exponential moving average) is 185.43, while its stock price is $196.45, making it a Buy. Also, AAPL’s shorter duration EMA (20-day) signals that it is a Buy.
Is Apple a Good Stock to Buy Right Now?
Wall Street has a Strong Buy consensus rating on Apple based on 24 Buys and seven Holds. The average price target of $200.61 implies 2.1% upside potential. Shares have risen 51% so far in 2023.
Insights from Options Trading Activity
TipRanks now presents options activity to help investors plan their trades ahead of earnings releases. Options traders are pricing in a 3.44% move on Apple earnings. AAPL shares have averaged a 2.3% move in the last eight quarters. In particular, the stock rose about 5% following the Q2 FY23 results.
The anticipated move is determined by computing the at-the-money straddle of the options closest to the expiration after the earnings announcement.
