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Investing.com -- Bank of America said Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) faces a “tough setup” heading into its fiscal third-quarter results this Thursday, as investors eye pressure on margins from tariffs and ongoing regulatory concerns.
“We see client sentiment as fairly negative given uncertain impact from tariffs, U.S. DOJ investigation (Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL) TAC payments), App Store headwinds, and slow progress in AI,” BofA analysts wrote in a note.
The bank maintained a Buy rating on Apple with a price target of $235.
According to BofA, the key focus will be gross margins (GM), with the June quarter guide of 46% at the mid-point, including the “impact of $900mn of tariff-related costs.”
Looking ahead to the September quarter, BofA models that period as “the trough,” expecting subsequent GM improvement driven by a “better mix of higher ASP products, including the slim iPhone (‘Air’), which we expect Apple to launch this fall.”
Despite margin concerns, BofA expects an in-line result for the current quarter and potentially a slight revenue beat. Its forecast for Q3 revenue/EPS is $90.2 billion/$1.45 versus the Street’s $89.3 billion/$1.43.
BofA remains optimistic about upcoming product cycles, stating, “iPhone form factor changes have helped drive higher replacement rates in the past.”
It expects iPhone, Mac, and iPad sales to benefit from new models, including a slim iPhone priced $100 above last year’s Plus version, and a new iPad Pro with an M5 chip expected this fall.
Still, the tariff impact is meaningful, with Apple’s gross margin estimated to decline 110 basis points quarter-on-quarter to 45% in the September quarter.