iPhone Demand in China

iPhone Demand in China Tested by Trade Dispute, Apple Analysts Say

Apple could be seeing weaker-than-expected demand for its iPhone product line, especially in China, where trade tensions have been weighing down sales, analysts said on Monday.

Shares of Apple rose 0.7%, rebounding after a three-day decline. While the stock is up about 12% from a low hit earlier this month, Apple is still down more than 8% from a peak in early May.

JPMorgan wrote that macroeconomic uncertainty "is likely to drive greater headwinds to the smartphone market." The bank lowered its iPhone shipment forecasts for the second quarter through the fourth quarter, dropping them by 4% to 139.5 million units.

Analyst Samik Chatterjee also trimmed his price target by $2 to $233, although he kept his overweight rating.

The macro issues are "cyclical and likely resolved with a trade resolution," Chatterjee wrote, adding that Apple could see a tailwind from its growing services business.

The iPhone is critically important to Apple's fortunes, accounting for more than 60% of the company's 2018 revenue, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company derived nearly 20% of last year's revenue from China, and weakness there pushed Apple to cut its sales forecast in January.

JPMorgan was not the only firm to express caution about the outlook for iPhone sales on Monday. Longbow Research wrote that "concerns are rising that the ban on sales to Huawei will further impair iPhone demand in China," and that there was a risk Apple "will not see notable share gains outside of China."

Analyst Shawn Harrison has a neutral rating on Apple, and wrote that the company's efforts "to expand the reach and breadth of its services is key amidst a challenged iPhone demand environment, particularly in China."