But the tides have shifted in recent months as investors overlook the $2.6 trillion company for rosier AI opportunities. "Everybody's waiting for Apple to come along," said Max Wasserman, co-founder and senior portfolio manager at Miramar Capital. "Great cash flow, great balance sheet, but they're just not demonstrating that they're going to be the new leader in AI." Apple's AI story Last month, Apple pulled the plug on its decade-long autonomous vehicle project in what many on Wall Street viewed as a move to divert resources toward AI prospects. Another way Apple could satisfy the need for AI progress is through a merger or acquisition of a company with large-scale AI capabilities, Meeks said.

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Persons: Max Wasserman, they're, Tim Cook, haven't, CFRA Research's Angelo Zino, Wasserman, That's, Paul Meeks, Miramar's Wasserman, Melius Research's Ben Reitzes, Rosenblatt's Barton Crockett, Meeks, hasn't, Michael Bloom Organizations: Apple, Miramar Capital, Nasdaq, Nvidia, Meta, Microsoft, Union, Huawei, Accounting, Portfolio Management, Apple's, Conference Locations: China