Options on Apple Inc (AAPL) Cheapest in Two Years, Analysts Bet on Sales Boom with iPhone 6, iWatch and iTV
With iPhone6, iWatch and iTV, options on Apple Inc (AAPL) will be on its cheapest in more than two years relative to the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
Bloomberg noted that Apple Inc (AAPL) stock dipped 4.3 per cent in its previous quarter. This included an 11 per cent retreat in January, while the stock showed five consecutive gains of 1.7 per cent between January and March in terms of its exchange-traded fund.
Apple Inc (AAPL) is sitting on a $159 billion in cash and reportedly has plans of a buyback and dividend release amounting to $100 billion to shareholders.
In a three-month implied volatility data compiled by Bloomberg, options for Apple Inc (AAPL) amounted to 7.2 points higher than any technology stock on the ETF - data obtained from contracts with an exercise price near the shares.
Bloomberg noted that there was a drop of 6.9 points on March 26, but this was the smallest gap since Feb 2012.
As of April 1, traders were more bullish than bearish as 1.22 million calls gave the right back to buy the stock - this is 40 per cent more than those calling to sell.
Eight out of ten contracts were bullish with bets on a 9 per cent increase to $590 by April 19 - the largest open interest.
Bloomberg also compiled analysts' data, showing that Apple Inc (AAPL) could possibly gain $181 billion for 2014 up to $192 billion in 2015.
For analyst Andy Perkins of Societe Generale SA in London, investors are betting that the iPhone 6, iTV and iWatch releases are catalyst for the stock to survive the market.
Perkins suggested putting Apple Inc (AAPL) stock on hold.
"We're going to see quite a bit of new products. Perhaps we'll see bigger screen phones, we might see more than one phone launched in the year, or one of these big products that so many people talk about: the iWatch or the iTV," Perkins told Bloomberg.
Timothy Arcuri and Bryan Prohm, analysts at Cowen & Co, rated Apple Inc (AAPL) stock outperform.
"The entire tablet market landscape is about to undergo meaningful change as Apple introduces both a larger screen phone and a larger tablet with all the functionality of a notebook. New products provide the real excitement," Arcuri and Prohm wrote.
"A new iPhone with a larger screen should get people excited. Also, Apple's cash on balance sheet means dividends or buybacks. That offers downside protection for shareholders, so I'm happy to hold Apple stock," Manish Singh, head of investments at Crossbridge Capital in London told Bloomberg.