Edible Apple

With Apple’s stock price currently hovering under $245, Chad Brand of Seeking Alpha lays forth the argument that the stock is actually undervalued at the moment.

Despite my roots as a value manager, in recent weeks I have been a fairly aggressive buyer of Apple shares. Such an investment may not seem appropriate for a value investor but as the stock has steadily fallen, dropping below $250 per share, it has actually become quite undervalued. And not just relative to its growth rate, but the broad market as well.

Flush with $45 billion in cash and investments ($50 per share) and no debt, Apple sports an enterprise value of about $190 per share. Compare that to $15 of earnings this year and enough catalysts to make next year’s estimate of $18 seem easily attainable, and you have a stock that actually trades at a discount to the S&P 500. And therein lies the core explanation for my heightened interest recently.