Target price rises to $350! Wedbush firmly believes that Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) will welcome the year of AI next year and see explosive sales of the iPhone 17.

Wedbush published a research report, raising the target price of Apple Inc. (AAPL.US) from $320 to $350, and maintaining an "outperform" rating. At the same time, Apple Inc. continues to be included in the "IVES AI 30" winners list. The analyst team led by Dan Ives stated, "We are raising the target price from $320 to $350, with the core reason being that 2026 will be the year Apple Inc. truly invests in the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution. In addition, we believe that the sales momentum of the iPhone 17 will continue through the end of the year, and the performance in the Chinese market is also impressive. Apple Inc.'s performance growth in the fourth quarter of 2025 is expected to surpass Wall Street's expectations, and the upcoming holiday shopping season is also expected to boost its performance further." The analysts added that Apple Inc. has begun to streamline and formulate a comprehensive AI strategy for the next year. The new leadership layout in this crucial area marks the beginning of the company's strategic transformation. They emphasized that if Apple Inc. can officially announce a collaboration with Alphabet Inc. Class C's Gemini in the AI field in early 2026, it will be a key turning point for the future development of both companies, and an important moment to test the effectiveness of Apple Inc.'s AI strategy. The Ives team stated, "The core challenge Apple Inc. currently faces is the external perception gap regarding its AI strategy. With the largest global scale of 2.4 billion iOS devices and a user base of 1.5 billion iPhones, Apple Inc. has reached a critical point in accelerating the advancement of its AI business." Analysts predict that the commercialization of the AI business in the coming years is expected to contribute $75 to $100 per share in value growth for Apple Inc. The analysts also said, "We believe that Tim Cook will continue to serve as CEO of Apple Inc. until the end of 2027 at least, leading the company through this critical AI technology transformation." Last week, Apple Inc. announced that Senior Vice President John Giannandrea, responsible for machine learning and AI strategy, will step down from his current position and serve as a company advisor before retiring in the spring of 2026. The position will be taken over by AI researcher Amar Subramanya, who will join Apple Inc. from Microsoft Corporation (MSFT.US). He has worked at Alphabet Inc. Class C for 16 years, starting as a senior research scientist and advancing to engineering vice president, deeply involved in the development of the AI assistant Gemini. The Ives team praised, "We believe that Subramanya's joining is timely. As 2026 approaches, Apple Inc.'s AI strategy has entered the countdown stage. Introducing external talent is a necessary step for Apple Inc. to optimize its AI strategy, injecting a new corporate culture and development genes into the company, driving the continuous advancement of the AI business." The analysts believe that, based on the current stock price, the market has not yet incorporated the "AI premium" into Apple Inc.'s valuation system, making Apple Inc. an attractive investment target for the end of the year and 2026. The Ives team further stated, "We expect Cook and his management team to make significant adjustments to Apple Inc.'s AI strategy by introducing more external talent, helping the company return to the right track of the AI race. Meanwhile, Apple Inc. is also preparing for the launch of an AI version of Siri in mid-2026."