With WWDC 2025 on the horizon, excitement is back, and so is Wall Street’s optimism. Citi has been an early backer with a favorable “Buy” recommendation on Apple shares, disregarding AI deployment delays and instead piling praise on the technology giant’s strategy. In an industry that updates faster than your app updates, Apple’s sustained capacity for innovation is what keeps analysts and shareholders on the edge of their seats. With a $240 price target, it seems Citi’s expecting Siri to do more than just set reminders this year.

Citi is maintaining its bullish stance on Apple, reinstating the Buy rating and $240 price target, which reflects a virtually 19% pop from the stock’s current price of $200.85. The news comes just days ahead of Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), which begins on June 9, and where the tech behemoth is likely to introduce a lineup of new software and potentially astonishing hardware modifications.

As far as turning out the last thing, Apple really stands out in the tech arena. Well over $3 trillion in market capitalization and a sweeping overall “GOOD” rating for financial health by InvestingPro would be promising for almost any company. Such recommendations made by Citi are based on the fundamental and strategic positioning, strongly complemented by artificial intelligence integration.

What to Look for at WWDC 2025

The WWDC is usually a software-focused conference, and the focus this year is on iPhone, iPad, Mac and other updates. This year sees especially high hopes for how Apple Intelligence, the company’s proprietary AI package, will improve. Although some features have been pushed back by Apple, including the AI-driven personalized Siri enhancements to 2026, experts are convinced the long-term plan continues intact.

Apple’s rumored change to year-based naming for its operating systems is also likely to be announced, updating branding while keeping in line with trends in the industry. WWDC has been the platform for product surprises in the past as well, so the world will be watching Tim Cook and company for any surprise announcements.

Robust Fundamentals

Citi is bullish not only over the forthcoming announcements but also because of some good numbers that Apple has had. It registers revenue growth of 4.91% gross profit margins of 46.63% working operational efficiency and pricing power.

From chip design through hardware, software, and an ecosystem of over 2.35 billion active devices, Apple possesses the strategic advantage to deploy and scale its new AI-powered features. Such a level of vertical integration affords Apple access to a huge pool of data for fine-tuning the user experience and hopefully unlocking growth in upcoming years.

Tactical Worldwide Positioning

Globally, Apple remains resilient. Apple-branded mobile phone shipments in China increased by 0.8% year-on-year to 3.52 million units in April, as per the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology. This growth, while small, is a testament in itself considering the competitive environment and geopolitical tensions.

At the same time, Apple regained leadership in global smartphone sales in Q1 2025 thanks to the good performance of the iPhone 16 due to favorable macroeconomic conditions and amended subsidy policies both in Japan and the MEA region.

Mixed Sentiment

Though Apple is making up lost ground, the rest of the tech industry has been slammed with premarket losses, as Tesla, Alphabet, Nvidia, Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft were weighed down by persistent trade tensions and tariff issues. These wider market stresses serve to underscore the strength of a well-diversified, globally rooted player like Apple in times of uncertainty.

Citi Remains Optimistic

While there have been held-back rollouts in select AI technologies, Citi analysts view Apple’s distinctive end-to-end strategy, combining hardware, software, and services, as a strong template for continued success in the changing tech environment. The coming WWDC, though not expected to shift markets meaningfully in the near term, is viewed as an opportune time to refocus investor confidence. Apple’s increasing aspirations in AI, solid ecosystem barrier, and its operational excellence give Citi an argument to maintain its $240 price target. It has positioned Apple well in terms of the tech industry’s future because the company adapts to the increasingly rapid change.

In an industry where hype generally rules over substance, in contrast, Apple values not being the first to rush after every trend but rather to base it on its long game. Apple doesn’t engage in the beta-tester game openly; it gets it perfect in private and ships when ready. The reiteration of the Buy rating by Citi is an affirmation of that ethos. WWDC will or won’t show flashy new toys, but in the background, Apple’s dominance of every layer of its ecosystem through services only deepens its moat. While competitors respond to market shocks, Apple rises above them.