Topic: Growth Stocks

APPLE INC. $447 – Nasdaq symbol AAPL

APPLE INC. $447 (Nasdaq symbol AAPL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 932.2 million; Market cap: $416.7 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 3.1; No dividends paid; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.apple.com) makes computers and a wide range of electronic devices, including the iPhone and iPad tablet computer.

Apple recently teamed up with several leading textbook publishers to make more titles available to iPad and iPhone users. The company has also launched its new iBooks 2 software, which makes it easy for students to use Apple devices to take notes and search within text. Publishers can also use the program to quickly update content and add features, like video.

This could be a huge market for Apple. By 2020, e-books could account for half of all textbook sales, up from just 3% in 2011.

Meanwhile, Apple earned $13.1 billion, or $13.87 a share, in its 2012 first fiscal quarter, which ended December 31, 2011. That’s up 117.6% from $6.0 billion, or $6.43 a share a year earlier. Sales jumped 73.3%, to $46.3 billion from $26.7 billion. iPhone sales soared 133.3%, iPad sales jumped 98.6% and Mac computer sales rose 21.5%. Sales of iPod music players fell 26.2%, but that’s mainly because iPod users upgraded to iPhones.

The stock hit a new all-time high of $454.45 in January 2012 before moving down to its current price. Even so, it trades at 12.5 times the $35.67 a share that Apple should earn in fiscal 2012. That’s a particularly low p/e ratio for a company with a loyal worldwide customer base. Apple should also continue to dominate the fast-growing smartphone and tablet computer markets.

Moreover, Apple is debt-free, and held cash and investments of $97.6 billion, or $104.70 a share, as of December 31, 2011. That gives it plenty of room to keep developing new products and perhaps start paying a dividend.

Apple is a buy.

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