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Time to jump back on Apple bandwagon, analyst says

The recent pullback on the stock may present a good buying opportunity, now that many of the concerns surrounding Apple have been priced in.

Roger Cheng Former Executive Editor / Head of News
Roger Cheng (he/him/his) was the executive editor in charge of CNET News, managing everything from daily breaking news to in-depth investigative packages. Prior to this, he was on the telecommunications beat and wrote for Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal for nearly a decade and got his start writing and laying out pages at a local paper in Southern California. He's a devoted Trojan alum and thinks sleep is the perfect -- if unattainable -- hobby for a parent.
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For investors, it may be safe to wade back into the Apple waters again.

That's according to Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Ittai Kidron, who believes that the recent pounding given to Apple's stock has been overdone, and that shares have a chance to rally back.

Apple's recent run hasn't exactly been magical. The company's stock is down about 20 percent from its peak in September, and there are plenty of concerns dogging the company.

Over the past few weeks, Apple has had to deal with fears that the profitability of its products is falling, that supply issues have limited its ability to sell its products, that its newly released iPad Mini would cannibalize sales of its larger iPad, and that the weaker consumer spending environment could finally take its toll on demand for its products. In addition, the company has had to deal with a management shuffle, calling into question the direction and strength of its leadership team.

All of those concerns led one bond guru, Jeffrey Gundlach, the CEO and co-founder of investment firm Doubleline Capital, to call for Apple's stock head down further to $425.

Despite his endorsement, Apple shares recently fell 2.6 percent to $543.69 in early trading today.

Kidron, however, believes that all of the negativity has already been factored into the stock, and actually sees shares rising to $620.

"We believe the sell-off is overdone and should correct," he said in a research note today. "We view $620 as an intermediate target as investors review the good fundamentals in light of the sharp pull-back."

A lot of the issues stemmed from Apple trying to launch too many products at once, likely straining its supply chain and its own resources.

"This was too much to digest in a short period for margins, but we see it leaving Apple strongly positioned heading into 2013 despite macro headwinds," he said.

Still, Kidron expressed some caution, noting that the macroeconomic environment would have to improve or Apple would have to start beating expectations again if the stock wants to rise past $620.

Updated at 7:11 a.m. PT: to include the updated stock movement.