There seems to be no looking back for the tech behemoth Apple Inc. (AAPL –Analyst Report). The share prices of the world's largest company have been riding high since the start of the year on a slew of good news that promises growth. Apple shares have delivered outstanding returns of nearly 50% in the year-to-date frame.
In fact, Apple's share prices have recently made an all-time high of $119.75 and hit a staggering $700 billion for its market cap, buoyed by the success of its iPhone 6 series smartphones, which debuted late September. The company saw brisk sales of its new bigger screen iPhones and sold a record 10 million iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets in the first weekend of its availability (read: Tech ETFs to Benefit Most on Apple's Earnings Beat).
What's in Store This Holiday Season?
Most of the analysts believe that this holiday season, which kicked off with Black Friday, is expected to go down in Apple's history for blockbuster iPhone sales. The company's latest product lineup of new iPhones – iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus – are expected to be a big hit this season, thanks to a strengthening economy and buoyant consumer spending.
Low natural gas prices will further loosen the purse strings of the holiday makers. Moreover, the company is greatly benefiting from its recently launched mobile digital payment system – Apple Pay (read: Big Screen Apple iPhones See Record Sale: 3 Tech ETFs to Buy).
A certain lack of imagination from its rivals Samsung and Google has also added to Apple's advantage. Some of the features like a bigger screen, sleeker form factor and enhanced screen resolution are expected to make these products the most popular Apple iPhone lineup ever.
Analysts believe that the strong sales of the premium iPhone 6 Plus will be an important driver for the company's profitability over the next couple of quarters. Also, the December quarter is traditionally the most lucrative for the company in terms of iPhone sales. A brokerage firm recently noted that Apple plans to dole out 60 million to 65 million iPhone units for the fourth quarter.
In fact, overall spending on mobile devices and consumer electronics is expected to increase by 2.5% this holiday season as per the Consumer Electronics Association.
Goodies on Offer/ Ethics in Mind
Apple, in a recent press release, said that its customers will receive an iTunes gift card with the purchase of select Apple products as part of its promotional efforts for the 2014 World AIDS Campaign (read: Can a Great Holiday Season Rally These Retail ETFs?).
