Tech Stocks – Loyal customers give Apple an edge

Article Excerpt

APPLE INC. $97 (Nasdaq symbol AAPL; Aggressive Growth Portfolio, Manufacturing & Industry sector; Shares outstanding: 888.3 million; Market cap: $86.2 billion; WSSF Rating: Average) has dropped 40% in the past two months, as investors fear that a slowing economy will cut consumer demand for electronics. However, Apple’s customers tend to be more loyal than other computer buyers. The strong growth of its iTunes online store also gives it steady revenue from music and software downloads, and cuts its reliance on new hardware sales. As well, Apple recently launched a new line of notebook computers, and cut the price of its older models. That should help spur sales over the busy Christmas shopping season. Among tech stocks, Apple is still a buy. buy…