Apple Faces a Two-Front Test: Loop Capital's Downgrade and a Possible $2,899 Touchscreen MacBook
Published on 10/28/2026 at 13:21 | Editorial boerse-global.de
Loop Capital pulled its buy rating on Apple on October 20, cutting the stock to hold and trimming its price target to $330 from $370. The downgrade rests on two supply-chain findings: Apple has no plans to make up the 13 million iPhone shipments it cut in the second half of 2026, and rising memory costs threaten gross margins. The more cautious stance therefore covers both unit planning and profitability risk.
That margin worry lands at an awkward moment, because Apple is simultaneously weighing a push upmarket on the Mac side. According to Bloomberg, the company has considered a $2,899 starting price for a smaller touchscreen MacBook Pro, with a launch expected today. That would sit $400 above the comparable MacBook Pro with M5 Pro, which starts at $2,499. No final pricing decision has been confirmed.
For the larger touchscreen variant, Bloomberg reports an entry point of at least $3,399, while leaving open the possibility of a higher figure. Existing models without touchscreens are expected to stay on sale alongside the new ones, so Apple would not make the fresh hardware the default across the entire line. Whether buyers accept the premium will depend in part on how much practical use the touch interface offers.
Hardware Changes and a Chip Split
The anticipated machines are expected to carry OLED displays and thinner, lighter chassis. A redesigned hinge is meant to keep the screen steady under touch, and Bloomberg reports changes to the cooling system as well. The keyboard and trackpad are set to remain the primary input methods.
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Notably, the touchscreen models would run on M5 Pro and M5 Max chips rather than the newest silicon. Apple unveiled its entry-level MacBook Pro with M6 yesterday, promising up to 30% faster graphics than M5 and up to 25% more performance on locally run AI tasks. Those figures are Apple's own and describe technical gains, not proven additional demand. Ars Technica reports that the designs of the already-announced M6 machines are unchanged, which would make the touchscreen models the more visible overhaul within the MacBook Pro family.
Washington, London and the November 2 Date
Apple's October 20 was busy on other fronts too. The company announced new and expanded partnerships with American suppliers for the iPhone Duo and the iPhone 18 Pro, including a commitment of up to $100 million over three years to the Perryman Company for titanium supply. The deals fall under the American Manufacturing Program and also cover camera technology for both models; the Perryman figure is capped and limited to that period.
In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority opened a consultation that same day on proposed access requirements for Apple's mobile platform, focused on access to contactless NFC technology on the iPhone. The proceeding is a consultation on proposed rules, not an obligation already decided.
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All of it sets up the next confirmed financial marker: Apple has scheduled its conference call on fourth-quarter results and business developments for November 2. Investors will be watching the revenue outlook for the December quarter and the margin picture. The product announcements supply the operating backdrop, but whether a pricier notebook option turns into additional profitable business cannot be inferred from the features and the considered prices alone.
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