Apple Stock Closes Near $500 - East Idaho News
News

Apple Stock Closes Near $500

  Published at  | Updated at

Getty 082712 iPhoneAppleLogo?  SQUARESPACE CACHEVERSION=1358207072294SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images(NEW YORK) — Shares of Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) closed at $501.75 in New York trading Monday, falling 3.57 percent after reports that the tech company has decreased its orders for parts, but analysts will wait until its earnings next week to learn whether fewer people have ordered the iPhone 5 than expected.

Apple’s orders for iPhone 5 screens for the first quarter have dropped to around half of what the company planned previously, the Wall Street Journal reported. Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported two Apple LCD panel suppliers in Asia reduced production.

The tech-heavy exchange, Nasdaq, closed down 0.26 percent to 3,117.50.

Brian Colello, a senior equity analyst, said there is a chance the report about the orders has more to do with supply chain issues and less to do with iPhone 5 demand.

“Screens were believed to be an area of shortages a couple months ago,” Colello said, shortly after the iPhone 5 release in September. “When that happens, customers tend to double order to make sure they have enough screens on hands. That leads to double orders and cancellations once supply and demand tend to balance out.”

Morningstar’s fair value of Apple stock is $770, and it has a “buy” rating, the highest of the financial firm’s five-rating scale.

Colello said all eyes will be on the company’s first-quarter earnings report on Jan. 23.

Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio

SUBMIT A CORRECTION