Will Apple’s risk appetite change under John Ternus?

BofA Securities maintains its "buy" rating on Apple Inc. and raises its price objective to $380, based on the firm's consensus estimate of $10.32 in earnings per share for 2027. The brokerage firm attributes the increased valuation multiple to Apple's potential in agentic AI, a multi-year upgrade cycle, its substantial cash reserves, and the opportunity to diversify into new end markets.

Under the imminent leadership transition of John Ternus replacing Tim Cook as CEO, BofA anticipates that much of Apple's core operations will remain unchanged, focusing on capital returns and potential AI-driven innovation. The firm predicts that Apple will continue to generate market cap growth at a rate of roughly $32 million per hour, a legacy of Tim Cook's tenure.

BofA highlights potential expansion areas such as wearables, smart home automation, and virtual or physical personal assistants, while noting key risks including a weaker iPhone cycle, lower near-term services growth, challenges in executing agentic Siri, and potential antitrust legal actions.