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Rothschild Raises Apple to Buy on Expected Foldable iPhone and AI Pivot

The upgrade reflects a view that a premium foldable could lift iPhone prices while a move away from Google‑sourced AI would change Apple’s cost and competitive profile.

Overview

  • Rothschild & Co Redburn upgraded Apple to Buy and raised its AAPL price target to $400, citing an expected September foldable iPhone and a potential change in Apple’s AI sourcing.
  • The broker forecasted about 14 million 'iPhone Ultra' units in fiscal 2027 with roughly 4 million seen as cannibalized sales and projected a material rise in average iPhone selling prices.
  • Bank of America and Morgan Stanley also expect a September launch, but BofA warned that higher foldable display and memory costs plus low initial panel yields could pressure gross margins.
  • Redburn said Apple currently relies on a customized version of Google’s Gemini and is reportedly paying about $1 billion a year for access, and it suggested open‑source models or Nvidia partnerships as alternatives.
  • Prediction markets and analysts showed growing conviction in mid‑August that a foldable iPhone will arrive before 2027, a development that could lift sales and investor valuations if Apple solves supply and margin risks.