Apple continues to struggle with iPhone demand, particularly in China, with trends going "from bad to worse," according to Longbow Research.
"Without iPhone demand acceleration on the horizon, we currently do not see any catalysts near term to drive significant EPS upside," wrote analyst Shawn Harrison. He affirmed his neutral rating on the stock and said the lack of a rebound in iPhone sales creates risk and shifts more focus to Apple's March 25 event, where the company is expected to introduce a video programming service and premium magazine subscription plan.
Shares of Apple gained as much as 2.1 per cent on Tuesday and the stock was on track for its third straight daily gain. While the stock has rebounded 27 per cent from a January low, and is currently trading at its highest level since December, Apple remains more than 20 per cent below record levels reached in October.
Longbow's comments were echoed by UBS, which wrote that an analysis of government smartphone sell-through data from China suggested demand there was "still weak."
"The annual rate of decline for Apple iPhones in the month of February (down 67 per cent y/y) is similar to the weakness in January and December months," the firm wrote to clients. However, this data is "neutral" for the stock, "as weak China smartphone is well understood as are iPhone struggles in China."