Why Apple Stock Climbed to a New High Today

What happened

Shares of Apple(NASDAQ:AAPL)rose 1.8% to a record closing high of $144.57 on Wednesday after a respected Wall Street investment bank issued bullish commentary on the popular tech stock.

So what

JPMorgan analyst Samik Chatterjee reiterated his overweight rating on Apple's stock yesterday and boosted his share price forecast from $165 to $170. His new estimate implies potential gains to investors of roughly 18% in the coming year.

Chatterjee noted that Apple underperformed theS&P 500andNasdaqin the first half of 2021. Yet he expects thetechtitan to post strong sales of both current and future models of the iPhone. Thus, Chatterjee posits that Apple's shares could generate strong gains for shareholders in the second half of the year ahead of the launch of the iPhone 13.

Now what

The recent rally in Apple's stock price suggests many investors agree with Chatterjee's bullish outlook. They're likely correct to do so. Robust iPhone volumes tend to also drive sales of Apple's high-margin services and fast-growing wearables revenue. So, if it does deliver blowout iPhone sales figures, Apple could enjoy an earnings bonanza later this year. This potential profit windfall, combined with Apple's bountiful share repurchases and steadily growing dividend, gives shareholders multiple ways to win.