A new research note from the analysts at Cowen points out that their work in the supply chain suggests key components and specs in the Apple Watch could include some of the top companies in the tech world. Many of them will be adding the smart watch business to their already lucrative dealings with Apple.
We screened for the top stocks that have pulled back some, giving investors a chance to pick a better entry should they want to add them to a portfolio.
Micron Technology Inc. (NASDAQ: MU) posted very solid earnings for the second quarter and the stock was promptly hammered, but it has rallied back very strong. The company, which is a leader in DRAM chip sales, is one of the top Wall Street technology picks. The company looks to benefit from Apple Watch and iPhone memory chip sales to Apple. While the Apple Watch memory is expected to be the smaller 512 megabit DRAM and 4 gigabit and 8 gigabit NAND variety, which could include other vendors, it still means more sales.
The Thomson/First Call consensus price target for the stock is $38.44. Shares were caught up Monday’s tech sell-off and ended down over 1% at $30.60.
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Broadcom Corp. (NASDAQ: BRCM) has often thought to be skewed more to Samsung for earnings, but the company is expected to be the supplier for a Wi-Fi/BT/GPS chip for the Apple Watch that is similar to the one it provided for the iPhone 5s. The stock has had a fantastic run this year, up more than 35%. Strong sales to Apple could keep the company on the upward trajectory.
Broadcom investors are paid a 1.2% dividend. The consensus price target is $43.11, and shares ended trading on Monday at $40.27.
NXP Semiconductors N.V. (NASDAQ: NXPI) recently announced that it is now the world’s number one supplier for small-signal discretes. The Cowen team thinks that the top chip company will supply the near field communications (NFC) module and secure element NFC booster chip. NFC is a set of standards for smartphones and other devices to establish radio communication with each other by touching them together or bringing them into close proximity, usually no more than a few centimeters.
The consensus price target for NXP is set at $75.73, and the stock closed on Monday at $70.80.
Maxim Integrated Products Inc. (NASDAQ: MXIM) is expected to provide the chip that handles power management in the Apple Watch. The Cowen team thinks it will be a different design than the ones from Maxim that are used in the iPhone 6 models. The stock got hit hard after the company posted poor fiscal fourth-quarter earnings in the summer, and investors may have a nice entry point.
The consensus price target for Maxim shares is $31.79. The stock closed Monday at $30.57 a share.
Texas Instruments Inc. (NASDAQ: TXN) is an old school name that also comes in looking good on the Cowen Apple Watch scorecard. The firm expects the iconic chip company to provide several controller/sensor-related integrated circuits to Apple. The stock has traded in a narrow range since early in the spring, and it could be a candidate to break out if earnings for the third and fourth quarter come in solid.
Texas Instruments still pays a solid 2.8% dividend. The consensus price target is $50.81, Shares closed Monday at $48.66.
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Obviously the Apple Watch will never have sales that rival iPhone levels, but if Apple can integrate the family of products, and make wearables a functioning asset for consumers, sales should at least be solid. That should bode well for vendors that sell to Apple.
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