Apple Stock Forecast & Price Predictions for 2021, 2022-2025, and Beyond

2021-09-13 2021-09-13
AAPL Apple Stock Forecast for 2021 and Beyond

Jana Kane

Apple stock price forecast seems to be on a lot of investors’ minds – over the last few years, it has been one of the top stocks to trade. While many agree that Apple has good revenue growth prospects, reflecting its long-term sustainable competitive advantages, there is a lot to talk about. 

In this article, we’re presenting Apple stock projections based on historical probability and fundamental analyses from renowned publications. 

Apple Stock Price History (2017-2020)

To keep this section brief, we’re going to focus on the AAPL stock performance for the last 5 years. 

In November 2017, Apple announced financial results for its fiscal year. It was clear that the company was doing well, with quarterly revenue of $52.6 billion and a double-digit earnings growth. 

However, when Apple unveiled a new lineup of products in September 2018, the excitement they generated wasn’t translating into sales. Analysts were worried that Apple’s high prices could leave it exposed if the economy soured. Clearly, the selling price trend couldn’t continue forever.

In 2019, the stock performance was on the rise, and this movement continued well into 2020. The company’s 4-for-1 split took effect on August 31 of the past year, which caused a 40% soar in value, giving the company a staggering $2.3 trillion market cap. This event quickly ran out of gas, and the fall has been steep. The stock eventually recovered – you can see how it played out on the chart.

Source: https://www.nasdaq.com/ 

Apple’s stock opened at $69.35 on March 11, 2020 – the date when the World Health Organization announced that COVID-19 had reached pandemic status. Since then, AAPL shares have risen by more than 70%, and a single share is now trading at $149.56. More on the current trend in the next section.

How Is Apple Stock Performing Today?

Below you can see the chart with the AAPL current price. 

AAPL’s share price is down more than 9% for the year, trailing the S&P 500 by almost 11%. This behavior might have little to do with the broader giant trends than it does with the particular dynamics of the company. Apple has also underperformed the Nasdaq 100 and the rest of the tech megacaps.

Source: https://www.nasdaq.com/ 

However, the bulls are still excited and call this stock undervalued, viewing the recent weakness as a buying opportunity. This will be evident from analyst recommendations down below.

What is the forecast for apple stock for 2021: Experts on Apple

A number of publications and experts are expressing their views on the AAPL share price for this year. We decided to cover five of the most prominent analysts that can tell the difference between overvalued and undervalued stocks. 

What are the experts predicting for apple stock? Here are quick summaries for each Apple Stock Market Predictions:

• Katy Huberty, Morgan Stanley, raises the Apple price target to $164 on Q1 2021 results. Among key factors were faster iPhone share gains, installed base growth, services monetization, and a recovery in China.

• Samik Chatterjee, J.P. Morgan, has a buy rating and a $150 price target on Apple. The analyst also shared his positive sentiment towards non-iPhone products (both physical and digital). 

• Matthew Cabral, Credit Suisse, has a neutral rating on AAPL shares. The new base target is $120, while the prior one was $106.

• Brian White, Monness, hiked the projected stock price to $170.00 per share from the previous $144.00. In his own words – “strong balance sheet, iconic brand, rapidly growing services business, the pipeline of innovations.”

• Sidney Ho, Deutsche Bank, maintains a Strong Buy, hinting at the promising Apple stock future. The stock quote target is at $160, which is +33% from the last one.

Source: https://walletinvestor.com/ 

Finally, according to Wallet Investor, the AAPL price might reach $154 by the end of next year. Overall, this outlook goes in line with experts’ opinions that are all making a bull case for this asset.

Apple Stock Technical Analysis

The Fibonacci ratios will help us conduct Apple stock’s trend analysis.

Apple’s bullish trend has been developing since 2003, as Apple stock’s monthly price prediction chart above suggests. 

Six trend development stages can be singled out there, each of them being shorter than the previous one. So, the ultimate sixth stage must be shorter than the fifth one, and Apple’s future price might follow a bearish trend in 2022. 

The first growth stage of the AAPL ticker started in 2003. One share price was less than 0.5 US dollars at that time. A correction that occurred in the crisis year 2008 completed that trend stage. 

The next stage started in 2008 and finished in 2013, the maximum price being around 25 USD.

The third active stage of the bullish trend began in 2013 and finished in 2016, with a peak of 34 USD. 

As the Apple value will hardly pull back to those levels, we will focus our technical analysis on the fourth and fifth stages to make a realistic forecast.

The trends of those two stages are marked with the blue lines in the Apple to USD price prediction chart above. They serve as a basis for drawing Fibonacci channels. 

The AAPL ticker failed to break through the projection line of 100% of the fourth stage’s grid. At the same time, the stock is trading in the consolidation zone between Fibo levels of 38.2% and 61.8% of the fifth stage’s trend. Overlaying the level of 100% of the first grid and 61.8% of the second grid will create powerful resistance to growth and point to a high bearish potential.

As the price is located in the consolidation zone, a fall shouldn’t be drastic, but the price target of a corrective movement might be at 115 – 120 USD, the point at which 61.8% Fibo level of the fourth stage’s trend and 23.6% Fibo level of the fifth stage’s trend cross.

Apple Stock Forecast For Next Three Months

Let’s check the forecast above on smaller time frames.

The weekly chart above shows Apple’s price history. The seller’s reaction to the level of 160 USD was quite strong. At the same time, the RSI  has been in the overbought area for a long time and is directed down.

The MACD confirms Apple stock’s projected fall. There’s a classical bearish divergence between its MAs and the price chart. So, the technical analysis of the weekly chart indicates that a forecast for the next three months generally complies with the global picture shown on the monthly chart.

A downward consolidation will most likely form in the nearest two months. A strong support level is located at around 140 – 150 USD. If the market sentiment doesn’t change, the trading range formed will be broken to the downside with a target of 130 US dollars.

Long-Term Apple Shares Technical Analysis for 2021/2022

To conclude, let’s make a long-term forecast for Apple’s shares.

In general, it coincides with the scenario outlined on the monthly chart. We might see a drawdown to 130 USD before the end of the year. Then, the Apple stock price might pull back to 150 USD.  

That pattern was realized in 2020 and the first half of 2021, so it’s highly likely to repeat itself. 

Whether or not the maximums will be updated is a pending question. As the market is overheated and strong resistance levels are accumulated at around 160 USD, a zigzag correction is more likely to happen than an update of historical highs.  

Apple stock’s support levels are accumulated at 103 and 116 USD. The angle at which the price retraces from those levels will show the buyer’s true strength. However, the AAPL expected trading range is unlikely to move beyond 100 and 160 USD.

Monthly price expectations are presented in the table below.

Apple Long-Term Trading Plan

Here’s a long-term trading plan based on the technical analysis we have done.

Since Apple’s expected potential is bearish, our main objective should be exploiting short trades. 

You can go short at around 140-150 USD. Stop Loss should be placed beyond the level of 160 USD. 

The first price target will be at around 135 USD. You can close half the position there and move Stop Loss to a breakeven zone. 

Based on Apple’s projected value in spring 2022, another target should be placed at 120 – 125 USD.

Remember to manage risks and avoid losses per trade exceeding 1% of the deposit.

APPL technical analysis is presented by Mikhail Hypov.

Apple Stock Forecast for 2022

The Apple share price forecast for 2022 starts off on a negative note. In some ways, it goes against what analysts have said about 2021. Still, it’s important to share the figures based on historical data. Around July, the situation evens out and switches to an uptrend move, going all the way to a 25% increase by December (compared to USD 121.42 as of March 5). 

Source: https://longforecast.com

Apple Stock Predictions for 2023

In the Apple stock price prediction for 2023, the value increase is modest but consistent. The average rate for the year fluctuates between $128 and $148. For more details, please refer to the table below. 

Source: https://leoprophet.com

Long-Term Apple Stock Price Prediction (2025-2030)

Going into the 2025 Apple share price forecast, we can see optimistic estimates. Bear in mind that with such long-term prognostications, the figures are approximate – the company and the market may not take the direction we expect. 

Source: https://walletinvestor.com/

By 2030, the stock price may reach as much as $428-$438, according to Coin Price Forecast. Once again, earnings expectations may not be accurate. But, at the very least, it gives you an overall idea of the price direction.

How Apple Stock Performed Over the Years 

Any stock predictions, AAPL shares included, consider historical volatility as an acceptable basis to infer the future price. This is why we’ll be doing an overview of the AAPL price history. 

Source: https://finance.yahoo.com/

• December 12, 1980: Apple started selling its stock publicly, selling 4.6 million shares at $22 each. But it’s important to note that since then, the stock has split five times. So, making the necessary adjustment, the IPO share price was $.10.

• 1982-2000: This part of the AAPL timeline is full of ups and downs in price. Some notable events that lead to price changes were the commercial failure of the Apple III, Steve Jobs being forced out of Apple,  the leadership of CEO John Sculley, Black Monday and post-recession market growth, Steve Jobs being back in, and the iMac era.

• September 29, 2000: The bar was formed with a huge gap down – a one-day drop of 51.89% on Black Friday, following the statement that Apple was going to miss earnings.

• August 2007: Launch of the first iPhone, which caused cumulative growth of 133.48% for the year.

• February 2009: The stock resumed its long-term uptrend and closed out the same year with a 120% increase in value.

• September 2012: The news of the iPhone 5 debut put the stock at a premium valuation (for that time) of $19 and some of the highest profit margins – 40.04%-47.37%

• 2013-2018: Steady uptrend, with peaks in value at every launch (September each year).

• December 2018: Toughening China-U.S. trade relations. Apple was especially vulnerable because it assembled (and still does) its iPhones primarily in China, and it was selling a substantial amount of products to Chinese consumers. The stock was affected negatively by every escalation of the situation. 

• End of February 2020: Start of the dramatic downtrend – disturbances and massive pressure on the supply chain due to the coronavirus situation. All of this led to a sharp decline below $55. However, the stock started to recover the next month.

• January 26, 2021: The all-time high closing price – $143.16.

• August 31, 2021: The stock split on a 4-for-1 basis. Apple Inc. adjusted its share price from about $500 to $125. While one share at $500 is the same investment amount as four shares at $125, Apple executives believed the split would make the stock “more accessible to a broader base of investors.

Factors Influencing Apple Stock Prices

There are many factors that have a say in whether the Apple stock forecast will prosper going forward. For transparency reasons, we’re also going to include factors that may affect the Apple stock outlook negatively. 

• The iPhone 12 and 13. The big question for 2021 is whether the iPhone 12 upgrade supercycle and another huge product launch will be successful. Initial industry data and projected growth of online retail sales are encouraging.

• More AirPods and M1 Macs. The former has turned into big business, and the company has been moving aggressively to expand the AirPods lineup. As for the speedy M1 processor, it might potentially win over the preference of Windows converts. 

• Dark-horse products. Apple is working on various exciting projects – LiDAR scanner, Bluetooth trackers (AirTags), electric car technology, and augmented reality (AR) glasses, just to name a few.

• Regulatory challenges. Government agencies are currently investigating Apple for anti-competitive behavior. The company faces antitrust allegations in Europe and lawsuits in the U.S., and there is a probability that it will end in legal costs and financial penalties. 

• COVID and post-COVID era. When COVID-19 first started spreading, it caused a dramatic slowdown in phone purchases. Still, Apple became the world’s top phone maker in the fourth quarter of 2020. The stock value going forward will not only depend on the spread of the disease and vaccination globally but also on how the company will handle the changing environment. 

Are Apple Stocks Worth Investing In? 

Apple Inc, a component of major US indices, is the world’s most valuable tech company (market cap: 2.038T dollars, Bloomberg). It has evolved into a funnel for technological innovation and boasts strong leadership, incredibly deep pockets, and one of the most influential brand names in the world. This perspective alone makes Apple a solid choice for long-term investors.

Source: https://coinpriceforecast.com/ 

Also, we encourage you to look beyond investing. Active traders can find positions that have the best short-term movement to take advantage of on a daily basis. There is no need to wait years for profitable deals. 

Now that you’re armed with knowledge and resources, LiteForex gives you the chance to make a living by stock trading. To start off, sign up for a demo account and practice risk-free. When you’re ready to hit the market, switch to real trading and join the ranks of successful traders!

Price chart of AAPL in real time mode