By Nick Gwiazda -
Apple Inc. NASDAQ:AAPL is set to make a major announcement on Sept. 9. The Cupertino, Calif-based company is expected to release a piece of wearable technology that may or may not be called the iWatch, and a new iPhone presumed to be called the iPhone 6. Apple is also expected to announce a switch from Gorilla Glass to Sapphire Glass as the surface material of choice for the iPhone 6.
Here are five stocks that investors might consider buying if Apple announces these products and changes:
GT Advanced Technologies Inc. NASDAQ:GTAT: GTAT is the company that manufactures and produces sapphire glass, a revolutionary material that is superior to Corning's NYSE:GLW in durability and flexibility that Apple already uses as the surface material for the fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5S. If Apple decides to cover the entire iPhone in Sapphire Glass, you'll be buying into a winner. Apple has already pledged $578 million to GT Advanced for supplies of the material, but will it be for the iPhone, or for the iWatch? If Apple decides to use Sapphire glass for the iWatch, investors will likely sell off GTAT in a cascading manner, because sales of the iWatch will be unknown for an extended period of time. It might be better off to wait on buying GTAT.
RF Micro Devices, Inc. NASDAQ:RFMD: The iPhone 5S has a radio frequency module in it, made by TriQuint Semiconductor NASDAQ:TQNT. RF Micro and TriQuint plan to merge by the end of the year in a tax-free re-organization. Regardless of whether Apple decides to use a new RF module by RF Micro, or if it decides to keep the module by TriQuint, shareholders of RFMD will win.
Avago Technologies Ltd NASDAQ:AVGO: Avago has one component in the iPhone 5S that improves battery life, and another that helps manage clarity for voice-related activities. Since the beginning of 2014 [and my call to buy it], Avago has nearly doubled. However, Avago management plans to streamline its operations by selling its storage chip vertical to Seagate Technology PLC NASDAQ:STX. If Apple continues to buy from Avago, then Avago shareholders would appear poised to win.
Qualcomm Inc. NASDAQ:QCOM: Qualcomm provides power management chips, LTE modems, and GPS teansceivers to Apple for use in the iPhone 5S. Aside from Apple, you would be hard-pressed to find a smartphone on the market today that does not use a Qualcomm component. As long as Apple's partnership with China Mobile Ltd. (ADR) NYSE:CHL continues to yield an expanding smartphone market in China, Qualcomm wins. Qualcomm wins when the overall smartphone market expands, largely because of their ever-growing place as a crucial provider to the entire smartphone market. Shares are also trading at a discount after the latest quarter. Qualcomm could be a long-term hold after the iPhone 6 release.
Skyworks Solutions Inc. NASDAQ:SWKS: Skyworks is another Apple-affiliate whose stock keeps breaking out of all-time-high ranges and continues to power higher. It would be easy to recommend Nuance Communications Inc. NASDAQ:NUAN - the provider of voice and language solutions for Apple's Siri - due to its beat-down stock price, but that would be turning a blind eye to execution. Skyworks, on the other hand, not only has two components in every iPhone, but it also executes extremely well in terms of management. A stock chart with a nice, uninterrupted wedge shape that seems to go up and up is a positive sign of consistent, strong management execution, and that is what Skyworks has.
As a final thought, a way to profit off of Apple might be to simply buy shares of Apple. When iPhone sales outperform, Apple's shares outperform.
At the time of publication, Nick Gwiazda held shares of RF Micro Devices.
Nick Gwiazda is a veteran in financial media, and has written for Minyanville Media, Benzinga.com, The Hardware City Journal, Gweezycapital.com and Wall Street Playbook. He has also made appearances in Bloomberg Magazine and on CNBC.
All opinions expressed by Mr. Gwiazda are his own and do not reflect the opinions of IBT Media, International Business Times, or its affiliates. Mr. Gwiazda's opinions are based upon information he considers to be reliable, but neither International Business Times nor its affiliates and/or subsidiaries warrant its completeness or accuracy, and it should not be relied upon as such. Mr. Gwiazda's statements are based on his opinions at the time statements are made, and are subject to change without notice. No part of Mr. Gwiazda compensation from IBT Media is related to the specific opinions expressed by him.