A section of Wall Street has turned bullish on Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock, citing expectations of renewed momentum as the company increases its focus on artificial intelligence.
Apple shares were trading at $277 at the time of writing, down about 0.5% for the day. Year to date, AAPL has rallied 13%.
Wedbush analyst Daniel Ives raised Apple’s price target to $350 from $320 and maintained an ‘Outperform’ rating. He expects 2026 to mark Apple’s full entry into the AI market, supported by strong iPhone 17 sales heading into year-end, particularly in China.
Ives noted that Apple is beginning to define a clearer AI strategy under new leadership and is expected to announce an expanded partnership with Google Gemini early next year.
He projects that AI monetization could add between $75 and $100 per share over the coming years, with CEO Tim Cook expected to remain at the helm through at least 2027 to guide the company through this transition.
Apple’s new monetization opportunity
On the other hand, Evercore ISI also raised its Apple price target to $325 from $300, citing the upcoming AI strategy as a key growth catalyst.
Analyst Amit Daryanani anticipates a major relaunch of Siri 2.0 in early 2026, powered by Google Gemini, offering multimodal interaction, enhanced on-device AI, and Apple’s privacy-focused architecture.
Notably, Apple is expected to provide users access to larger AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini, presenting a long-term monetization opportunity.
Additionally, Evercore highlighted potential revenue from AI-as-a-Service, faster device upgrades, and expanded partnerships with large language models, emphasizing Apple Intelligence as a substantial upside catalyst.
Overall, the firm reiterated its ‘Outperform’ rating and expects Apple to maintain its capital-light AI approach while generating new revenue streams through an “AI toll booth” model.
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