Everyone always asks me about AAPL… and for good reason!

So today I thought I’d share the notes I get directly from the LikeFolio Research Desk, raw and unfiltered.

Here you go:

• Mentions are up +21% YoY -- supportive of its bullish run in 2023

• Web visits are accelerating -- +5% YoY on a 30day vs. +3% YoY on a 90day

• Happiness levels show the company's Apple Watch was hurt by recent bans (sentiment down -5% YoY): The US banned the Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 late last year following a patent dispute with medical device manufacturer Masimo. The International Trade Commission (ITC) found that the blood oxygen sensors in these devices infringed on Masimo's patents. A new update that removes the blood oxygen monitoring capability is expected to allow Apple to circumvent this ban.

• One area that looks particularly promising in our data is Mac demand -- happiness is up by a point YoY while mentions rise +22% YoY. Time to upgrade those desktops purchased during the pandemic? Also seeing a recovery in the PC market so this makes sense. Could be an unexpected boost from the upgrade cycle.
• iPhone data looks strong, despite warnings of lackluster sales from analysts. iPhone mentions are up +41% YoY, happiness is down a point. Apple has the US consumer hooked until something better comes along.
• Earnings are slated for Feb. 1 -- the near-term pull back is nice right now.

Depending on how the stock trades over the next two weeks, it may be an excellent setup for a bullish surprise…Apple always has a way of overdelivering.

Enjoy!

Andy Swan
Founder, LikeFolio