Amid ongoing concerns about tariffs, one Wall Street firm is presenting a surprising viewpoint: Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) might actually gain from the current trade disruptions.
In a fresh report, Loop Capital reaffirmed its Hold rating on Apple and kept its price target steady at $215. The firm suggested that shifts in production timing and pricing, driven by tariffs, could positively influence the iPhone’s near-term outlook.
According to Loop Capital’s supply chain analyst, Apple has raised the average selling prices (ASPs) of the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max by $100 to $200.
“Ironically, there is a scenario where AAPL’s ‘tariff actions’ to move phone production into the March-June quarter provide a necessary bridge to the iPhone 17 launch,” the firm noted.
Further analysis indicates that Apple has boosted its shipment projections for the iPhone 17 to 100 million units in the September and December quarters, up from an earlier forecast of 92 million.
Significantly, Loop Capital also points out that shipments for the new iPhone 17 Air model are expected to rise by 15 million units, reaching a total of 31 million.
While tariffs have the potential to squeeze margins, Loop Capital maintains that “if the tariffs are not overly onerous, investors could ignore them if there is legitimate enthusiasm for the new iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 designs.”
The firm also anticipates that these upcoming models will bring the first major design changes in years.
Separately, Loop Capital highlighted Apple’s discreet foray into generative AI technology.
“Our work suggests that the recent Siri issue may be driving an internal strategy shift and that AAPL is in the process of ordering approximately $1.0B of GB300 NVL72s,” the note explained, referencing large server clusters from Supermicro and Dell (NYSE:DELL).
They added that this move likely reflects an evolution in Apple’s AI approach following recent Siri-related challenges.
Although Loop Capital maintains a Hold rating, the firm remains cautiously optimistic about Apple’s prospects as it navigates tariff challenges and readies itself for upcoming product launches.